


A Kind Of Magic

by mysticanni



Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band), The Enchanted Castle - Edith Nesbit
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Crossdressing, Fairy Tale Elements, Green hair, Grief/Mourning, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Invisibility, Wishes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-02-19 03:17:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22004350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mysticanni/pseuds/mysticanni
Summary: At the centre of the maze they found a sleeping figure.Freddie:  ‘It’s a fairy-tale princess!  Waiting for a prince to kiss her awake!’John: ‘Sleeping Beauty.’Brian: ‘What the hell are you two talking about? Of course she isn’t a bloody fairy-tale princess!’Roger (pretending to be asleep) thinking: Would one of you just kiss me already?
Relationships: Brian May/Jim Beach, Chris "Crystal" Taylor/Roger Taylor, Jim Hutton/Freddie Mercury, John Deacon & Brian May & Freddie Mercury & Roger Taylor, John Deacon/Veronica Tetzlaff
Comments: 25
Kudos: 54





	1. The Enchanted Castle

**Author's Note:**

> You don’t need to have read or know anything about The Enchanted Castle to (hopefully) enjoy this.
> 
> My version has a modern setting and the characters are adults rather than children. 
> 
> The basic story from the book is: three siblings, Jerry, Jimmy and Kathleen, are out exploring the woods near where they are staying on holiday and stumble across a castle. At the centre of the maze in the castle grounds they find a sleeping beauty/fairy-tale princess who tells them that the castle is enchanted. When the princess accidentally makes herself invisible it turns out that she is really the housekeeper’s niece and wasn’t expecting to actually be able to do magic...
> 
> I’m sorry but the idea of Roger as a sleeping beauty/fairy-tale princess in the middle of a maze just wouldn’t get out of my head...

Chapter One

Freddie had seemed remarkably unprepared for the fact that the countryside cottage he had rented for the summer was actually in the countryside. ‘Not a shop in sight!’ he wailed.

‘There is actually a village within walking distance,’ Brian informed him, ‘with a grocery store.’

Freddie looked distinctly unimpressed. More surprisingly, so did John. He was squinting suspiciously at his phone. ‘Any of you got a signal?’

*

When Brian ventured to the village shop to buy essentials he was pleasantly surprised to find that it sold a wide range of items and had delicatessen and bakery sections within it. The woman behind the counter was chatty too.

‘You must’ve taken Rose Cottage, then? They find it hard to let. No phone signal and no internet connection. Still, you need a break from all that sometimes, don’t you?’

Brian agreed that you did. He thought a break from his phone might be exactly what Freddie needed just now. He thought he could cope with it. He wondered how to break the news to John, however.

‘There’s a fair over on Barton Common for the next few days,’ the woman continued, ‘and there are a lot of nice walks round here. We make up picnic baskets, if you are going to be out and about. Here with your partner, are you?’

‘I’m here with my brothers, actually.’ Brian tried to imagine Freddie on a country walk. That could be entertaining. ‘Do you sell maps? Walking guides?’

*

‘Did you get cigarettes, dear?’ Freddie demanded the instant Brian walked in the door.

‘You’ve given up.’ Brian frowned.

‘I’ve re-started,’ Freddie mumbled.

‘Since when,’ Brian asked. But he knew, of course: since that bastard Freddie had been seeing had started to use him as a punch-bag.

Freddie was picking at his nail polish.

‘I’m not enabling you, Fred. Go to the shop yourself if you want cigarettes so badly.’ Brian began to unpack the shopping bags. Neither of the others rushed to help. ‘The lady at the shop says there is no chance of a phone signal and no way of getting online here.’

Freddie looked appalled. John groaned.

‘She said there is a fair nearby? That might be fun,’ Brian continued.

Freddie hoisted himself onto one of the kitchen counters. ‘No signal at all?’

Brian ignored him. ‘There are a lot of nice walks too, apparently.’

‘Well,’ John began to assist with unpacking the shopping, ‘perhaps if we walk far enough we’ll get a bloody phone signal.’

*

‘Admit it, Bri, we’re lost.’

‘We had no fixed destination in mind, John, so I wouldn’t say ‘lost’, exactly...’

‘Do you know how to get back to the cottage from here?’ John enquired.

Brian admitted he did not.

‘We are lost, then,’ John concluded.

Freddie sighed. He sat down on a flat stone by the side of the track. ‘My feet are killing me,’ he moaned.

‘Well, perhaps if you hadn’t worn platform boots for a countryside walk you’d be faring better!’ Brian snapped.

‘Well, excuse me for not having the appropriate clod-hopping footwear, darling!’ Freddie sighed again. ‘We shall die here!’ he announced dramatically. ‘They’ll find our bleached bones, picked clean by vultures, and...’

He shrieked.

As he had leaned back against the bushes behind him, the bushes had given way. Something had yielded to the pressure of his back and there was the sound of something heavy falling. John grabbed Freddie and pulled him forwards.

Brian stuck his hand into the bushes then began to haul branches aside, revealing a hole in the bank. ‘I think it’s a cave,’ he said.

Freddie pulled a cigarette lighter out of his pocket. ‘What can you see?’

*

Brian entered the cave first. ‘Enter feet first,’ he advised his brothers. ‘There’s a bit of a drop.’

He helped Freddie down, then John.

As their eyes became accustomed to the gloom, they could see they were in a rough stone cave that went straight on for a bit then turned sharply to the right, where a faint light seemed to emanate from.

They advanced carefully, turned the corner and emerged into bright sunlight from a narrow passage ending in a round arch fringed with ferns. A path sloped steeply downwards ending in another arch, dark inside, with rocks, grass and bushes above it. When they reached it, steps led down to another passage. The passage turned to the left and they could see daylight again at the end of it.

They emerged onto a marble terrace. Blinking in the sunlight they leaned their arms on the balustrade and gazed at the view.

‘It’s an enchanted castle!’ Freddie breathed.

Brian snorted. ‘Well, a large mansion house with lovely gardens,’ he corrected.

John grinned. ‘I’m with Freddie on this: I can feel the magic in the air!’ he beamed at Brian, ‘We found it by way of a secret passage, Bri, so it must be a place of magic!’

Freddie was already tottering off the terrace. ‘Come on, lovelies, let’s go and explore!’

Brian spluttered, ‘We have no right to be here! This is private property!’

‘The magic brought us here and wants us here,’ John responded solemnly, ‘besides if anyone asks we can just say we are lost, which is perfectly true.’ He smiled innocently as Brian glared at him.

‘Anyway, it might be open to the public,’ Freddie pointed out, ‘a lot of castles are, to help pay for the upkeep.’ He shifted uncomfortably where he stood. ‘I do hope it is open to the public: there might be a loo I can use, I really need a wee.’

‘Let’s go and look, then,’ John set off confidently and the others followed.

*

The rose garden was delightful. Freddie buried his nose in a large pink bloom. Bees buzzed and the sun was warm on his back. It would have been blissful if he hadn’t needed to pee so badly. ‘Oh, look, there’s a maze!’ he heard John exclaim.

What Freddie had taken to be a high yew hedge had an opening in it, leading into the maze, ‘Must we, darlings? My feet hurt and I’m bursting for a wee!’

‘Just go behind a bush,’ John suggested.

Freddie looked scandalised, ‘I can’t do that here!’

‘Hold it, then,’ John shrugged, ‘but we are doing the maze!’

*

The fourth time they ended up back at the entrance to the maze Freddie stamped his foot in frustration. ‘There is no centre to the bloody thing! Can we give up now?’

‘No,’ John and Brian said, in stubborn unison.

‘It is much too hot for this!’ Freddie flung his hands in the air and kicked the hedge. ‘Oh! What’s this?’ A gleam of red at the foot of the yew hedge had caught his eye.

Brian crouched down. ‘It’s a thread of cotton,’ he said, picking it up, ‘one end is attached to this thimble.’

Freddie peered at the thimble. ‘Silver,’ he noted, ‘with a crown on it. It must belong to the fairy-tale princess who lives in the castle.’

‘The thread leads into the maze,’ John noted. He grinned. ‘It’s a trail to follow!’

*

They followed the thread to the heart of the maze. The thread ran up two stone steps to a round grass plot. There was a sundial in the middle and all around, set against the yew hedge, ran a low wide marble seat.

The red thread ran across the grass, around the sundial and ended in a hand with jewelled rings on every finger.

The hand was attached to an arm bedecked with many bracelets, sparkling with red, blue and green stones. The arm wore a sleeve of pink and gold brocaded silk which was faded a little, here and there, but still extremely imposing and the sleeve was part of a dress, worn by a figure lying on the marble seat, asleep in the sun.

The rosy gold dress fell open over an embroidered petticoat of a soft green colour. A thin cream veil spangled with gold stars covered the face.

*

‘The enchanted princess,’ Freddie breathed.

‘Sleeping Beauty,’ John nodded.

‘She obviously isn’t really a princess,’ Brian sighed.

‘Lift the veil up, John,’ Freddie demanded, ‘and if she is beautiful we’ll know she is a fairy-tale princess!’

‘We can’t just touch her!’ Brian objected.

Freddie ignored him and gently lifted the veil himself. ‘Oh, she’s lovely!’ he breathed, ‘now, who is going to kiss her awake?’

‘Don’t be so fucking ridiculous, Freddie!’ Brian hissed, ‘We can’t just kiss some random stranger!’

‘Nonsense, Brian, dear, this is different: she’s crying out to be kissed awake! I would do it myself, but I expect, as princes are more my thing, it won’t work...’

Freddie surveyed the princess, taking in the size of her un-manicured hands and her bare, dirty feet and wondered if he should try kissing her anyway. He declared that he would try to wake her and brushed his lips against the sleeping figure’s lips. The princess still lay asleep.

‘You two both like princes or princesses,’ Freddie noted, ‘so perhaps one of you should try.’

‘For fucks sake, Freddie,’ Brian hissed. He heaved an exasperated sigh as John leaned forward and kissed the princess.

*

The princess opened large blue eyes, stretched out her arms, yawned a little, covering her mouth and said, ‘Then the hundred years are over? My, how the hedges have grown! Which of you is my prince that aroused me from my deep sleep of so many long years?’

‘I did,’ John said.

‘My noble preserver,’ said the princess, holding out her hand, which John took and kissed lightly.

Brian groaned, ‘Who are you, really?’ he asked.

The blue eyes widened. ‘Whatever do you mean?’ she asked in her curious raspy voice.

‘Aren’t you a little too old to be playing at being a princess?’ Brian suggested.

‘Playing?’ the princess pouted, ‘What else could I be? Look at my crown,’ she added adjusting the veil so they could see a coronet nestled in her golden hair.

Freddie thought the diamonds looked real.

‘How did you get past the dragons?’ she asked.

‘With great difficulty,’ John told her.

Brian sighed and glared at John. ‘Can we please stop this nonsense?’

The princess looked hurt. ‘Here’s where I pricked my finger with the spindle,’ she said, showing them a scar.

She had very rough looking hands for a princess, Freddie thought.

Brian snorted. ‘Of course you did and this is really an enchanted castle, I suppose?’

‘It certainly is!’ The princess stood up, her dress swirling brightly around her. ‘Are you okay?’ she asked Freddie, who was shifting uncomfortably.

‘I’m bursting for a pee!’ Freddie blushed.

‘Oh, come on up to the castle, then!’ The princess held out her hand to him and Freddie clasped it, finding it large and calloused. He glanced at her neck but if she had an Adams apple a froth of creamy lace was concealing it.

*

As they walked through the gardens towards the castle the princess produced a packet of cigarettes from a pocket of her frock and lit a cigarette with a battered looking Ace of Spades Zippo lighter. She noticed Freddie looking. ‘Smoke,’ she offered, holding out the pack to him.

‘Oh, yes please, dear!’ Freddie accepted gratefully.

Brian uttered a disapproving tut.

John smiled to himself: Brian was always amusing when flustered. He wondered if Brian had realised yet that Sleeping Beauty was almost certainly male.

*

They followed the fairy-tale princess into a large hall with suits of armour and old flags on the walls. The princess turned to Brian and John in a swirl of silk and said, ‘You two wait here and mind you don’t talk while I’m gone: the castle is brimful of magic and I don’t know what will happen if you talk!’

She pulled Freddie away from them. Brian opened his mouth to say something and John shook his head and placed his finger to his lips. Brian scowled at him.

*

Freddie looked much relieved when he returned with the princess, who was holding his hand again. The princess smiled sweetly at Brian and said, ‘Perhaps you’ll believe the magic is real if I show you my jewels?’

‘I really think we ought to be going now,’ Brian said firmly, ‘thank you for letting Freddie use the facilities.’

‘Oh, let’s go and see the jewels!’ Freddie exclaimed.

Brian pinched the bridge of his nose. They were in someone’s private residence with a stranger whose grip on reality seemed tenuous at best and why could Freddie not grasp how dodgy that was? It occurred to Brian that they didn’t know if the princess had any right to be here either. True, she had known where the lavatory was, but that didn’t mean she belonged here: simply that she had been here before.

‘Yes, Bri, do let us see the jewels,’ John said.

And John was just taking the piss.

‘Fine, then,’ Brian huffed. There were three of them, he thought sulkily, if Sleeping Beauty’s evident instability manifested itself in any troubling ways.

*

The princess led them across the entrance hall to stone stairs that ran up to a gallery above. Under the stairs a tapestry hung against the wall. The princess pulled the tapestry aside revealing a door. She reached up and snatched a key hanging above the door on a rusty nail. The princess handed the key to Brian who inserted it into the lock and opened the door.

The door opened on to stairs that led up to a narrow passage. ‘Go straight on,’ the princess said. Brian did as he was told and halted at another door. ‘It’s open,’ she said, ‘just go in.’

The room was dark until the princess opened the wooden shutters covering a long window and flooded the room with sunshine. They could see that the room was small with a high ceiling which was painted with gold stars on a deep blue background. The walls were covered with carved wooden panelling. There was no furniture.

‘This,’ the princess announced dramatically, ‘is the treasure chamber!’

‘Lovely, dear,’ Freddie wholeheartedly approved of the dramatic flair, ‘where are the jewels, sweetness?’

‘Don’t you see them?’ the princess asked, leaning against the wall.

‘No, we bloody well don’t see them!’ Brian snapped, ‘I’ve had enough of this game... Oh!’

Brian gasped as the walls appeared to ripple and move; suddenly shelves crammed with gold cups, silver dishes and jewellery of every description were visible. The treasures glimmered in the sunshine. Brian had to admit it was breath-taking.

‘So, there’s a hidden switch to make the panelling slide aside,’ Brian sneered.

The princess shook her head, her veil shimmering in the sunlight, ‘It’s magic,’ she said.

Brian rolled his eyes. ‘Well, it’s been interesting meeting you, princess, and now we really must be on our way.’

And he could not believe he had just called her princess; that he was thinking of her as the fairy-tale princess, Sleeping Beauty. It was irritating. She was irritating. The whole elaborate joke was starting to wear very thin in Brian’s opinion.

And of course Freddie was delighted by the jewels: trying on rings and bracelets and necklaces. ‘But what is all this rubbish, Beauty, my dear?’ he asked.

Sleeping Beauty laughed. ‘Oh, that’s not rubbish! Those are all the magical things!’ Brian looked over and saw that Freddie and the princess were examining a shelf holding rings, brooches and chains of dull metal and unusual designs. ‘This bracelet,’ the princess continued, ‘makes anyone who wears it tell the truth, and this chain makes you strong.’

‘What does this brooch do?’ Freddie asked, smiling indulgently at the princess. He reached out his hand to touch the brooch.

The princess caught his wrist. ‘Oh, no, you mustn’t touch them: if anyone but me touches them then all the magic disappears and never returns! The brooch will give you any wish you like.’

‘And what does this ring do?’ John asked.

Brian sighed. ‘Nothing,’ he muttered crossly. Really, must they all keep playing along with this (admittedly very attractive) mad fantasist?

‘Oh, the ring makes you invisible,’ the princess laughed, picking it up and slipping it onto her finger.

She vanished.


	2. The Invisible Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it has taken me so long to update this.
> 
> Turned out this just needed a little bit of romance so I have added a few relationships. 
> 
> I hope anyone who is still around for this likes it! :)

Chapter Two

Brian, Freddie and John gasped. ‘That is quite an impressive illusion, I’ll grant you,’ Brian said, ‘how did you do it?’

‘Do what?’ said the disembodied voice of the invisible princess. 

‘Become invisible, of course,’ Brian said impatiently. 

‘Very funny,’ the princess said and Brian shivered to hear her voice without being able to see her. 

‘Can you still see yourself, dear?’ Freddie asked gently. 

Brian snorted, ‘It’s a trick, Freddie, you’re talking as if she is actually invisible and hasn’t realised!’

‘Can you see your hand in front of your face, princess?’ John asked. 

And it was ridiculous, Brian thought: the whole thing was utterly preposterous. Freddie and John had clearly had too much sun. 

There was a deafening shriek.

‘I can’t actually be invisible!’ the invisible princess screeched. ‘That’s not possible!’ She sounded exceedingly panic-stricken. 

From the look on Brian’s face, John suspected he was having almost as much trouble believing it as Sleeping Beauty was. John reached out towards where the princess had been standing before she vanished. ‘Where are you, love?’ 

Unseen hands suddenly clutched John’s outstretched hand. It was unnerving being touched by someone you could not see. He could hear that she was hyperventilating. ‘Just breathe with me, okay?’ 

By the time the princess sounded calmer Brian also seemed to have recovered. ‘So,’ Brian said slowly, ‘there seems to be actual magic at work.’ Yet it was impossible. There must be a rational explanation. 

‘Oh,’ moaned the princess, ‘what should I do?’ 

‘Just take the ring off, dear,’ Freddie suggested, practically. 

‘I can’t,’ the princess gulped, ‘it won’t come off. But it can’t be the ring! Rings don’t make people invisible!’

‘You said this one did and it has,’ John pointed out. 

‘It was a game!’ the princess wailed.

‘Obviously,’ Brian noted, ‘yet now a part of your silly game has come true.’ 

Brian sounded very smug. He suddenly looked outraged, yelling, ‘Ow! She kicked me!’

‘Good for her,’ John said briskly. He held out his hand again and an invisible one closed round it. He could feel Sleeping Beauty shaking. 

‘You put on a terrific show, dear,’ Freddie said admiringly. 

‘Thank you,’ the princess sniffled. 

‘We can’t keep on calling you princess,’ Brian decided huffily, ‘who are you really?’

‘My uncle is the house-keeper here,’ the princess replied, ‘my name’s Roger.’

‘Your name’s... Oh,’ Brian spluttered. ‘I’m so sorry, I had just assumed...’ He blushed.

‘It’s okay,’ Roger assured him. ‘I was pretending to be a princess, after all. I am male, though.’ 

Freddie reached out carefully and encountered silk. He said, ‘Hello, darling.’ He was clasped by invisible arms, felt a hot invisible cheek against his and warm invisible tears dampened his face. ‘Oh, don’t cry, dear.’

‘Do you always dress as a princess?’ Brian wondered. 

‘No, but everyone else had gone to the fair but I broke a vase, I mean it was an accident and it was hideous anyway, like imagine the ugliest vase you’ve ever seen although it was apparently quite valuable. Anyway, Miami was cross and gave me extra chores to do so I didn’t go to the fair and I just thought it would be fun,’ Roger mumbled, still clinging to Freddie. 

‘Miami?’ John queried. 

‘Uncle Jim,’ Roger explained, ‘everyone calls him Miami: his surname is Beach, you see. And he’s not really old enough to be like a proper uncle so I call him Miami too. May I know your names, please?’ 

They told him their names. ‘At least you belong here,’ Brian noted, feeling strangely relieved by this.

‘What’s the use of belonging anywhere if no one can see you?’ Roger wailed. 

A door banged somewhere. ‘Roger? Where are you?’ a voice called. 

‘Oh, it’s Miami!’ Roger gulped, ‘he can’t see me like this!’

‘Well,’ John noted, ‘no, he literally can’t see you like this, Roger.’ 

‘More to the point,’ Brian said slowly, ‘what do we say if he sees us? Hi, we’re friends of Roger’s but he’s mysteriously vanished?’ 

‘Roger,’ the voice was closer now, ‘oh, Paul, have you seen Roger?’ 

‘No, Mr. B. I haven’t seen him. He’s probably sulking somewhere.’ This was followed by a high-pitched giggle. 

‘Well, if he’s run off he is no great loss, I suppose.’

Roger gasped. John and Freddie both wound their arms around his invisible waist.

‘I’m sure he didn’t mean that, dear,’ Freddie said uncertainly. ‘Who is Paul?’ 

‘Paul Prenter,’ Roger told them, ‘from the cleaning company. He’s awful: always trying to ingratiate himself with Miami.’

‘You must come home with us,’ Freddie decided. 

*

Roger shook his head then realised they couldn’t see him, which gave him a little jolt of terror. ‘I’ll stay,’ he said. He had a sudden happy thought: ‘I can haunt fucking Prenter.’ 

‘I don’t think you ought to be alone, darling,’ Freddie objected. ‘Not when no one in the castle knows you are invisible.’ 

Miami didn’t seem to care much, Roger reflected unhappily. Miami was usually so kind. Roger had thought Miami liked spending time with him but perhaps that had all been an act or maybe Miami had been so furious with Roger for breaking the antique vase that simply doing chores instead of going to the fair wasn’t punishment enough and Miami wanted to cut all ties with him. He would probably be relieved that Roger had apparently gone. Roger wondered miserably if he would be invisible forever. 

‘I agree,’ John said, nodding, ‘you shouldn’t be alone. Come home with us.’

Brian wondered if he had any say in this. He suspected not. He sighed. 

‘Okay,’ Roger sniffed, ‘would you mind waiting here will I get changed?’ 

‘We can come with you, dearest,’ Freddie suggested, ‘it’s not as if we can see you, is it?’ he added gently. 

*

Roger’s little room was at the top of a tower with its own little bathroom just down the stairs. The rosy gold princess dress became visible as Roger peeled it off. It crumpled onto the floor like a discarded skin. 

Jeans, t-shirt, cardigan, socks and boots vanished as Roger hauled them on. He carefully hung up the dress and removed all the jewellery he had been wearing, placing it in a little box on a shelf. The magical ring refused to budge. 

He packed a little overnight bag. Everything felt slightly surreal. He was invisible. Miami didn’t seem to care about him. These complete strangers seemed to be adopting him. 

*

Once they were back outside in the sunshine they could see Roger’s shadow. Roger found it reassuring that he was still making some kind of mark on the world. Brian looked at his shadow and fretted about what to say if they met anyone. 

‘No one will notice,’ John predicted. ‘People don’t notice anything.’ 

‘We won’t meet anyone,’ Freddie said, ‘I’ve never been anywhere so quiet in my life!’

Roger knew a much quicker route back to the cottage that did not involve scrambling through a cave. Brian tried (not wholly successfully) not to feel bitter about that. Freddie’s prediction was correct: they did not meet anyone.

‘You’re here on holiday, then?’ Roger asked. ‘Are you... together?’ 

John thought Brian might have a heart attack. 

‘We’re brothers!’ Brian spluttered. 

‘Oh,’ Roger considered this, ‘you’re just so...’ 

‘Different?’ Freddie suggested, ‘yes, darling, we all have the same mother but different fathers.’ 

‘It’s nice that you get on well enough to go on holiday together,’ Roger remarked. He was startled when John snorted. 

‘They are staging an intervention for me, dear,’ Freddie explained airily: ‘a month in the middle of nowhere so that I cannot contact my ex-lover.’ 

‘Oh,’ Roger said, not, he felt, particularly eloquently. 

‘It was your idea, Freddie,’ Brian hissed, ‘and you chose this place!’

‘It’s popular for people who want to get away from it all,’ Roger noted, ‘since there’s no phone or internet access.’ 

‘Yes, we know that now,’ John sighed. 

‘We didn’t realise that when we took the cottage,’ Freddie explained to Roger, ‘being this isolated wasn’t actually part of the plan.’

‘Maybe it’s for the best?’ Roger ventured. 

‘Definitely, darling: if we hadn’t been bored then we wouldn’t have met you!’

*

‘Where is he going to sleep?’ Brian hissed, because of course they hadn’t thought about sleeping arrangements before inviting this complete stranger to come and stay. 

‘Roger, darling, you can cuddle up to me,’ Freddie offered, ‘I won’t molest you, I promise!’

Roger shrugged and nodded before realising they couldn’t see him. ‘Okay.’ 

*

Brian made pasta because it didn’t appear that any of the others were going to offer to feed their guest. It was disconcerting to see cutlery floating in mid-air then witness part of the fork disappearing every time it entered Roger’s mouth. It was also strangely fascinating and Brian had to force himself not to stare. 

‘We ought to take a stall at the fair tomorrow,’ Freddie said, ‘Roger could make items vanish.’

‘Sure,’ Roger agreed, ‘I might as well use my invisibility.’

*

The fair was on a piece of land down by the river. It was another hot sunny day and there were already people milling about as they arrived.

There were some rides: a big wheel; dodgems; waltzers; a wall of death and lots of little stalls where people could try their hand at winning assorted prizes by throwing hoops or balls or squirting water at targets. There were food stalls too, scents mingling in the air to tempt the fair-goers. They wandered for a bit, looking around to see where the best spot for their act would be.

Brian asked the woman at the ‘test your strength’ stand if she would mind if they set up nearby for their magic show. She looked slightly suspicious but agreed to allow them to do so if they all paid for a shot at her stand. 

They all paid to strike a button with a mallet to see if they could make the ball zing up the pole to ring the bell at the top. None of them succeeded in ringing the bell to the woman’s obvious amusement.

Freddie spread their picnic rug on the grass near her stall and sat cross-legged on it with Roger kneeling next to him, unseen. 

‘Allow us to demonstrate, my dear,’ Freddie said to the woman, ‘give me your ring and I shall make it vanish.’ 

The woman obligingly slid her wedding ring off her finger and handed it to Freddie, who held it out in front of him with a dramatic flourish. Roger took the ring from Freddie and curled his hand around it, making it disappear. 

The woman gasped. She gasped again a second later as the ring re-appeared on the rug in front of Freddie. ‘That’s amazing!’ she laughed, hastily slipping the ring back onto her finger. ‘How’d you do it?’ 

‘I have an invisible accomplice,’ Freddie explained, winking at her. 

*

Brian felt decidedly out of place. John took the money from the flood of curious punters who sought them out over the course of the day. Word had spread quickly and they had a constant queue of people who wanted to pay to see if Freddie could make something they owned disappear. 

Freddie maintained a stream of entertaining chat for the customers. Brian thought it was Freddie’s showmanship, as much as the mysterious nature of their act that was drawing a crowd. 

Brian felt he was doing nothing other than lurking in the background. He wondered if he should try to look menacing as if he was guarding John and the money they had taken in. He just felt conspicuous though. 

‘We’ve made a fortune,’ John remarked happily, as they rolled up the picnic rug and began to head back to the cottage, ‘thank you Roger!’

‘We’ll give you a share of the profits, of course,’ Brian added. 

Roger shrugged then realised they couldn’t see him. He wearily tried the ring for the umpteenth time that day and was delighted to discover that it was now loose. ‘I can get the ring off!’ he cried.

They had reached the cottage gate. Roger appeared, looking ecstatic. The ring jangled to the ground.

John and Freddie enthusiastically hugged the newly visible Roger. Brian stooped and picked up the ring. He examined it curiously. It looked so ordinary. ‘How can it possibly work?’ he mused. ‘How can a ring make someone invisible?’

Brian slid the ring onto his own finger and vanished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This may still be slow to update although I have written a lot more of it now which is...something...


	3. Green Hair

Chapter Three

‘Oh, really, Brian, how ridiculous of you,’ Freddie scolded him. 

‘Can you get the ring off?’ Roger asked. 

Brian tried. He shook his head then realised they could not see him and felt terrified. ‘No. Although at least we know it won’t last forever.’

Roger reflected that they did not really know how long Brian would be invisible for. It hadn’t lasted forever in Roger’s case but that didn’t necessarily mean it would work the same way for Brian. He remembered how panicky he had felt though and did not voice that thought. Instead, he silently held out his hand and felt Brian grasp it. It felt weird holding a hand he could not see and Roger supposed that had been how the others had felt when he had touched them while invisible. 

‘Oh well,’ John shrugged, ‘what do you fancy for tea?’ 

‘Is that it?’ Brian demanded, ‘I’m invisible and all you can think of is what you want to eat?’ 

I’m hungry,’ John replied, ‘and you don’t seem very real,’ he added with a frown. 

‘Charming,’ Brian muttered.

‘Oh,’ Roger considered this, ‘I wonder if it is part of the magic? Miami wasn’t bothered about me and now you guys aren’t bothered about Brian.’ He rubbed Brian’s hand with his thumb hoping Brian would find the gesture reassuring. 

Freddie looked appalled. ‘I think it must be,’ he whispered. 

Roger bit his lip, ‘I wonder if Miami is worried about me now?’ He squeezed Brian’s hand. ‘I ought to go home.’

Brian sighed. ‘I’ll come with you, if I may?’ he requested. ‘You, at least, seem more... aware of me.’

‘I think it is because I’m not a relative,’ Roger explained, ‘and yes, of course, you must come with me.’

*

A man came flying out of the castle door as they approached it, hurtling towards Roger who let go of Brian’s hand, ran to the man and was hugged fiercely by him. Brian assumed the man was Miami and he was surprised to see that Miami was much younger than he had expected and also very attractive. He had kind eyes, Brian thought. 

‘Where have you been?’ the man gasped. ‘I feel so ashamed: it was the oddest thing but when we got back from the fair yesterday you just didn’t seem all that important. It was almost as if you didn’t truly exist. Then just now I realised you hadn’t been home all night and I...’ The man seized Roger and held him close again, ‘I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you, Roger!’

‘I’m sorry,’ Roger gasped, ‘I can’t really explain it, but something very strange happened.’ He pressed his face against Miami’s shoulder and Brian felt awkward about witnessing their reunion, although he was relieved to know that once he was visible again Freddie and John would also care about him again. 

He wondered uneasily if Miami and Roger were normally quite so melodramatic. Would he have to endure gushing emotion from Freddie and John? Freddie, perhaps, Brian concluded but almost certainly not John. 

Roger gave an apologetic glance back over his shoulder at Brian, or at least where he assumed Brian was (Roger was actually looking well to the right of Brian but he appreciated the gesture) as Miami escorted him into the castle. Brian trailed after them. 

*

‘Are you hungry?’ Miami asked as they entered the castle.

‘Yes,’ Roger nodded and felt ridiculously happy that Miami could see him nodding. ‘I’ll go and make something and bring it to your rooms, shall I?’

Miami affectionately ruffled Roger’s hair. ‘Thank you.’ 

*

Brian followed Roger to a large and surprisingly modern kitchen. ‘You can eat here,’ Roger said, ‘and then I’ll probably spend some time with Miami so just make yourself at home. Feel free to explore. Can you remember where my room is?’ 

‘I think so,’ Brian told him.

‘There’s a library too,’ Roger told him, ‘which I think you might like.’ 

*

So once Brian had eaten he wandered invisibly around the castle. It was a warm evening and he ventured outside.

He was shocked to see one of the white statues dotted around the grounds step gracefully off its plinth and skip merrily across the grass. Looking around he realised that all of the statues were moving or out of place: strolling arm in arm; reclining on the grass; running towards the little lake. He blinked, expecting the statues to be back in their usual places, motionless, in their fixed poses. When he opened his eyes again they were still moving. Two of them appeared to be dancing. 

Brian told himself he had simply had too much sun at the fair. He should have worn a hat. Moving statues were not possible. 

Another part of his mind reminded him that being invisible was not possible either. He looked down at where his feet were. He could feel his feet. He could wiggle his toes. He could not see his feet. Shaken, he stumbled back inside and headed for Roger’s room. 

*

‘Brian?’ Roger asked, feeling a little bit silly, as he entered his room. He rocked backwards as an unseen Brian hurtled into his arms, gabbling something about moving statues. ‘You’re alright, love,’ Roger automatically soothed him, ‘I’m here, I’ll look after you.’ He could feel Brian’s tears seeping through his t-shirt at his shoulder. ‘There, there...’ he murmured. 

Brian snuffled, ashamed of his tears. He thought it was easier to cry when the person whose shoulder you were crying on couldn’t see you though, although he was not sure why that was. That was something to think about later, perhaps, for now he just needed Roger to hold him while he tearfully explained that the statues in the garden had come alive.

Roger considered this. ‘More magic, then,’ he murmured, ‘or maybe they always move but you can only see their activities when you are invisible?’ 

‘All of this is utterly ridiculous!’ Brian huffed.

‘Yeah,’ Roger agreed, ‘it is, I know.’ He hugged Brian again. 

*

Brian stayed the night. Roger had mentioned going to sleep in one of the guest bedrooms but Brian had not wanted to be alone (somehow being invisible made admitting to this childish feeling easier) so they had shared Roger’s bed. That had also seemed to Brian less awkward than he felt it would have been if Roger had been able to see him. Less awkward emotionally, at least: since Roger could not see him Brian ended up with a few bruises where Roger had inadvertently kicked or elbowed him.

Roger brought him breakfast in bed and later, while Roger did chores, Brian wandered about the castle again. 

He came across a man half-heartedly mopping the floor and wondered if this was Paul Prenter from the cleaning company whom Roger had wanted to haunt. Brian amused himself by following the man and brushing his arm or whispering things like, ‘You’ve missed a bit,’ or murmuring, ‘I am always watching you.’

On a whim, he murmured, ‘I know what you did,’ and watched with satisfaction as the man literally jumped.

‘Who’s there?’ the man whimpered, ‘what trick is this?’ 

‘No trick,’ Brian assured him, ‘You must mend your ways.’ 

The man was very jumpy by the time Brian had to leave to meet Roger. Brian felt he had done a useful mornings work. 

*

Roger held out his hand and squeezed Brian’s hand when he took it. ‘Sorry I had to rush off this morning,’ Roger said, ‘Miami might have become suspicious otherwise. Did you sleep okay?’ 

Brian thought of how sweet Roger had looked while asleep, like a little blond angel. ‘Yeah, I managed to get some shut-eye despite your snoring.’

‘Do I?’ Roger looked slightly worried. 

‘Yeah, you make the noise equivalent of a pneumatic drill,’ Brian grinned, although he realised that this was wasted on Roger. 

Roger laughed. ‘I do not snore,’ he twisted around and smiled at where he thought Brian’s face was (actually looking over Brian’s left shoulder). ‘You’re funny,’ he commented. 

Brian was not often called funny and felt a little glow of pleasure. He’d felt left out the previous day at the fair with Freddie commanding the crowd, John controlling the money and Roger making it all happen while he had just stood there like an idiot. Then his brothers had rejected him when he became invisible. 

He tried pulling at the ring again as they neared the cottage. ‘Oh, I can take the ring off!’

Freddie and John appeared at the cottage doorway as Brian materialised. ‘Bri, darling!’ Freddie seized Brian and hugged him. When he released Brian he was immediately grabbed by John.

*

They sat at the kitchen table with cups of tea and stared at the ring as it lay innocently on the scrubbed wooden surface next to the teapot. A dull plain band of dark metal: it didn’t look like much. 

Brian had told Freddie and John about the moving statues and that he had spent the morning haunting the man Roger now confirmed to be Paul Prenter. ‘I wish I’d seen that,’ Roger said wistfully. ‘Thank you for haunting him for me.’ 

‘It’s a pity the ring doesn’t grant wishes,’ Freddie noted, ‘so we could wish Prenter away for you, Roggie.’

‘Did you say something in the treasure room did grant wishes, Rog?’ John asked.

‘I think so,’ Roger frowned, ‘but I can’t remember what it was now.’ He carefully picked up the ring. ‘Are all of those things magical, do you think? Or is it only the ring? How do the statues come alive?’ He laughed merrily. ‘Magic ring: I command you to grant wishes!’

John shook his head wearily and held out his hand. ‘Give the ring to me, please,’ he requested.

‘Why?’ Roger asked, adding, ‘It’s mine!’

‘Is it, darling?’ Freddie raised an eyebrow. 

Roger flushed. ‘Well, I should have custody of it,’ he protested, ‘because it belongs to the castle.’

‘I don’t trust you not to make a stupid wish,’ John told him bluntly, ‘by just saying something idiotic without thinking about it. The same goes for you, Freddie.’ 

Brian smirked. ‘Perhaps I should take it.’

John treated Brian to a withering look. ‘You turned yourself invisible in a vain attempt to figure out how it works. So I’ll be in charge of it, thank you very much.’

Roger dropped the ring into the palm of John’s hand. John slid it onto his finger.

He remained visible. 

‘Shall we see if it does grant wishes?’ John asked. The others nodded. John considered this. It did not really matter what he wished for, of course, because the ring was simply a ring and there must be some other, rational, scientific, explanation for the invisibility. ‘I wish Roger’s hair was green,’ he said mischievously, safe in the knowledge that of course the ring would not grant wishes and it would not happen.

‘What?’ Roger glared at him and seized a lock of his hair, pulling it out in front of him. He screamed. 

His hair was bright green.

‘What have you done?’ Roger screeched, ‘I look like bloody Kermit the frog!’

John’s mouth was hanging open. ‘Uh... I wasn’t expecting it to work,’ he mumbled, ‘sorry, Roggie.’ 

‘My hair,’ Roger wailed, ‘I look ridiculous!’

‘Now, darling, I rather like it,’ Freddie assured him, ‘it’s pretty.’ 

Brian sighed. ‘You were saying something about being the most responsible custodian of the ring, John?’ he sniffed. 

‘Embrace it, dear,’ Freddie advised Roger. 

‘I wonder how long it will last,’ John mused, ‘you were invisible for around twenty-four hours, Roger, but Brian was invisible for around twelve hours. Are we back up to twenty-four hours again now it grants wishes instead of making people vanish or will it be six hours?’

‘Let’s hope it’s six,’ Roger snapped.

‘I am sorry,’ John offered, looking contrite. ‘Perhaps we should go back to the treasure room and see if any of the other items do anything?’ he added. 

‘Of course they don’t!’ Brian snorted. 

Freddie sighed. ‘Brian, you’ve been invisible,’ he pointed out, ‘and John, you’ve seen both Roger and Brian vanish in front of your eyes. How can you two still be denying that there is actually magic at work?’ 

‘Maybe we are having some kind of collective hallucination,’ Brian muttered, ‘or perhaps...’ His voice trailed off. Or perhaps it was actually magic. 

Roger was staring at him in disbelief. ‘How can you still be trying to explain it away?’ 

‘It’s... I’m a scientist!’ Brian protested, ‘It’s quite preposterous!’

Roger’s face softened. ‘I was scared too,’ he admitted. He ignored the outraged glare Brian aimed at him, ‘but Bri, I was studying biology at Uni, and really, crazy as it sounds, I think there really must be something magical at work here.’ 

Brian sighed, looking defeated. John squeezed his shoulder. ‘I didn’t want to believe it either,’ he said, ‘but my wish came true,’ he pointed out, unable to prevent himself from grinning as he looked at Roger’s hair. 

Roger stuck his tongue out at John then laughed. ‘Come on, let’s go and look at the other items.’

*

They met Miami on the way into the castle. ‘Roger! Er... Did you intend to do that to your hair?’ Miami spluttered, evidently trying not to laugh. 

‘Not exactly, no,’ Roger muttered, glaring at John.

‘Ah, well, it’s... very colourful,’ Miami observed. ‘Hello,’ he added, looking at the others, ‘I don’t believe we’ve met?’

Brian was about to say that they had met but realised just in time that while he had seen Miami, Miami had been unable to see him and they had not been properly introduced, as it were. ‘I’m Brian,’ he said, holding out his hand, which Miami shook. He had warm but dry hands and a firm grip Brian was pleased to discover. ‘These are my brothers, Freddie and John. We’re staying at Rose Cottage.’

‘Pleased to meet you,’ Miami said, ‘I’m Jim but everyone calls me Miami. I’m technically Roger’s uncle although I’m only a few years older than him.’ He was not sure why he felt it was important to make Brian (who had such lovely warm eyes and those luscious curls) aware that he was not that much older than Roger. 

‘You’re seven years older than me, aren’t you?’ Roger murmured, earning a pointed look from his uncle. ‘Is something wrong,’ he added, ‘you looked flustered?’

Miami blushed. For some reason he did not want Brian to think he was an agitated flustered person. ‘Lord Yalding has died,’ he explained to Roger. ‘Apparently the castle and the title have been inherited by a distant relative. I’m not even sure who at this point. Lord Yalding could be very demanding but I knew his preferences and how to deal with him. The new owner could be very different. What if they want to sell the castle?’

Roger hugged Miami. ‘I’m sure it will all be fine,’ he assured him. ‘The castle is haunted: no one will buy it!’

Miami laughed. ‘Nonsense, Rog! I know there are tales of a ghost but no one has seen anything remotely supernatural here!’

‘I think Paul from the cleaning firm has,’ Roger told him, all wide blue eyes and innocent face. ‘When does the new Lord Yalding arrive?’ 

‘Paul was acting strangely earlier,’ Miami noted, frowning. ‘Apparently I owe you an apology, Roger, Paul told me that he broke the vase I accused you of breaking. He said you bumped into the table on your way out and the vase wobbled but didn’t smash as he told us it did. Paul accidentally knocked the vase over later on while cleaning the table. I’m so sorry I blamed you.’ 

Roger shrugged. ‘I thought I had broken it,’ he said, ‘and it was fantastically ugly. I wonder why Paul decided to confess,’ he added innocently, grinning at Brian. 

‘I expect he was just feeling guilty,’ Miami said, ‘and, to answer your other question, I don’t know when the new Lord Yalding will be gracing us with his presence. Everything is perfectly in order, of course, so he can arrive at any time, I have no concerns about that. It is all just a little unsettling and upsetting.’ He pushed a lock of vibrant green hair behind Roger’s ear, ‘Whatever happens we’ll be okay, Roggie, I promise.’

*

‘Are you okay, dear?’ Freddie asked as they followed Roger to the treasure room.

Roger nodded. ‘Yes, thank you.’

Freddie decided to persist. ‘You must tell us all about yourself, darling,’ he invited Roger, ‘did you grow up here? Where are your parents?’ 

Roger halted with his hand on the door to the treasure room. ‘My parents are dead,’ he informed them, ‘they died in a car accident a couple of years ago.’ He opened the door and ushered them in.

‘I’m so sorry, dear,’ Freddie said, stroking Roger’s hair as he entered the room. Brian awkwardly patted Roger’s shoulder on his way into the room and John kissed his cheek.

‘It’s okay,’ Roger mumbled, following them inside and closing the door, ‘I was at Uni when it happened and then I wasn’t in a very good place emotionally so I dropped out and came here and Miami has been great...’ He shivered. ‘I suppose at some point I’ll have to go back to the real world.’ 

Freddie hugged him. ‘If you need us to help you haunt this place so you can stay safely here then we will, of course, won’t we darlings?’ Brian and John agreed that they would. 

‘Thank you,’ Roger flicked the switch that made the treasure appear. 

They peered at the shelf of more unusual items. ‘Can anyone remember what I said about them?’ Roger asked. ‘Did the chain make the wearer speak the truth?’

‘No, dear,’ Freddie shook his head: ‘the chain made the wearer strong, the bracelet made the wearer tell the truth and the brooch granted wishes.’ He picked up the bracelet. ‘Shall I see if I can tell a lie?’ 

They tried all of the items in turn but none of them seemed to have magical powers. John turned the ring thoughtfully on his finger. ‘Should we return the ring?’ he wondered. 

‘We might need it,’ Brian noted, ‘if the castle needs ghosts.’ 

‘It is probably best with you,’ Roger conceded, nodding towards the ring on John’s finger. He twirled a lock of green hair around his own finger. ‘Despite what you’ve done to my hair you are probably the person least likely to make a stupid wish.’


	4. Wine and Roses

It was another lovely day so after they had examined the other items in the treasure room they went outside and Roger showed them around the grounds. There was a small lake with an island in the middle. On the island was a white marble temple. ‘There’s supposed to be a secret passage between the temple on the island and the summerhouse in the grounds,’ Roger told them, ‘but I’ve never found it.’

They returned to the castle and Roger made up a picnic basket so they could enjoy a picnic in the summerhouse, which was a large wooden structure with a porch they sat on to watch the sunset. 

As the sun went down John gasped as the statues began to move. Freddie asked him anxiously what was wrong. ‘The statues are moving!’ John gasped, ‘can you see them?’

‘I can,’ Roger said excitedly.

Brian and Freddie could not see the statues moving. ‘John has the ring on,’ Brian noted, ‘which will be why he can see them move and Roger is, I suppose, under a spell,’ Brian reached over and gently stroked Roger’s shiny green hair, ‘so maybe that’s why he can see them.’ 

‘They come alive at night,’ Roger breathed, his eyes shining, ‘oh, they are so beautiful!’

Freddie tried not to feel bitter that the others had all directly experienced the magic and had all seen the statues move while he had not. Perhaps if he could think of a small, nice, wish they would let him have a shot at it. 

Should he wish for somebody to love? But the ring’s magic seemed to last for mere hours. Roger had presumably realised that too otherwise he would probably have wished his parents were alive again.

‘Are you okay, Fred?’ Roger asked.

‘I’m just thinking what it might be sensible to wish for,’ Freddie said, ‘the magic seems time-limited, doesn’t it?’ 

Roger nodded. Freddie put his arm around Roger’s thin shoulders. ‘Would you wish your parents were alive again, if it wasn’t time limited?’ Freddie asked. 

Roger shook his head. ‘I thought about it, of course,’ he admitted, ‘when I realised there was actual magic happening, but I don’t think it would be right.’ His forehead creased in his struggle to figure out how to express what he was trying to say, ‘I think they were supposed to die at that time, although it has been very hard to bear.’ 

‘You feel it would be against the natural order of things,’ Brian suggested and Roger nodded. 

‘That,’ Roger agreed, ‘and I’m scared that they might come back... different...’

‘Do you believe in fate, then?’ John wondered. 

Roger shrugged. ‘I guess so.’ 

Brian sighed and was about to launch into a lecture about superstitious nonsense when he realised that he could no longer be sure of anything. Magic was apparently real.

‘I believe we were destined to meet,’ Roger added.

‘Oh, yes, definitely!’ Freddie agreed.

‘What would you wish for?’ Roger asked.

Freddie shrugged. ‘I’m not sure, darling. Earlier I thought about wishing for riches or true love but if they only last for one day then I don’t know...’ 

‘Perhaps we could wish the magic lasted forever,’ John suggested. 

‘Would we always want it to, though,’ Brian wondered, ‘what if invisibility then lasted forever too?’ 

‘Good point, dear,’ Freddie nodded and they all sighed. 

*

As the sky grew dark Roger turned on the fairy lights that festooned the porch. ‘So pretty,’ Freddie sighed. ‘Is that your sweet uncle approaching, Roggie?’

Miami arrived with a couple of bottles of wine. ‘May I join you?’ 

‘Of course,’ Roger jumped up gracefully and headed into the summerhouse to fetch glasses.

Miami sat next to Brian. ‘So,’ he said cheerfully, ‘what brought you to Rose Cottage?’ 

‘Oh, that was me, darling,’ Freddie said, ‘I have a broken heart and spending quality time with my brothers is helping me heal.’

‘Is your heart broken?’ Roger asked solemnly, returning with the glasses and opening one of the bottles of wine. 

‘A little bit, darling,’ Freddie confessed. ‘He wasn’t very nice to me but I did love him.’ He sighed. 

‘Are you healing?’ John asked softly.

‘Yes,’ Freddie nodded, ‘there is something very soothing about this place,’ he observed. 

‘Sometimes getting away from it all is just what you need,’ Miami noted. ‘Are you on holiday from work?’ 

‘We’re all students,’ Brian told him. ‘John’s studying electrical engineering, Freddie is an art student and I’m studying astrophysics.’ 

John tuned out as Brian began telling Miami about astrophysics. He heard Freddie say, ‘He already has a degree, Miami, he is doing his doctorate just now,’ and smiled. He watched statues dancing on the lawn and thought how beautiful the castle was and how he never wanted the summer to end. 

He was brought back down to earth when Roger asked if they would not usually work during their time off from their studies. Freddie flushed. ‘Normally we would, Roggie, dear,’ Freddie explained, ‘but because of my circumstances... Brian’s father is very kindly paying for us to stay here.’

John snorted. He said, in a low voice so that Brian wouldn’t hear him, ‘Brian’s father thinks money solves everything.’

‘It has been very useful in this instance, dear,’ Freddie pointed out. He looked at Brian, who was still animatedly talking to Miami. ‘And perhaps the magic in this place is just what all of us need.’ 

*

It took twenty-four hours for Roger’s hair to return to normal. John continued to wear the ring but made no wishes. They fell into the habit of visiting the castle every day. They took a boat out on the lake, explored the castle and its grounds and Brian explored the library, often accompanied by Miami. ‘You two seem to be getting on very well, Brian, dear,’ Freddie noted over supper in Rose Cottage. Brian had flushed and murmured something about Miami being good company.

Freddie was wandering alone in the rose garden one morning, the sun warm on his back, enjoying the intoxicating scent of the flowers. He inhaled the scent of an orange-red rose and jumped as he heard boots crunching on the gravel path and a voice said, ‘Lady of Shalott,’ adding, ‘sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.’ 

Turning, Freddie found a dark haired man with a moustache standing behind him. ‘Cursed, dear?’ 

‘It’s the name of that rose,’ the man explained, ‘in celebration of Tennyson’s two-hundredth birthday.’

‘It’s very pretty,’ Freddie noted, adding, ‘as are you, dear.’ 

The man blushed, ‘I’m one of the gardeners,’ he told Freddie, ‘Jim Hutton, pleased to meet you.’ 

Following that first encounter Freddie discovered that Jim seemed to be in the rose garden at the same time as he was every morning. He knew the names of all the roses. ‘What’s this red rose, Jim, dear?’

‘That one is called Drummer Boy,’ Jim replied. One of the pink roses was called the May rose. ‘They use that variety as one of the ingredients in Chanel Number Five,’ Jim informed him.

‘What’s this pretty yellow one called?’ Freddie wondered.

‘That is a canary bird rose,’ Jim laughed, ‘I like the name of that one.’ 

He was close to Freddie, who had buried his nose in the bloom. Freddie slowly straightened up and, on impulse, pressed his lips against Jim’s. 

*

Brian sat next to Miami on one of the little sofas that were scattered about the library. He was very aware of how close Miami was, aware of the scent of him: sandalwood soap and coffee, aware of their thighs brushing together slightly as they both bent their heads over the book Miami had wanted to show him. Brian was aware of the smell of the old book and the leather and wood and faint echo of tobacco scent of the library itself. He studied Miami’s profile; so pretty. He could feel his heart beating as if it was about to burst out of his chest and then Miami turned his head towards Brian and Brian realised he had been caught staring. A blush spread across his cheeks even as he hungrily pressed his lips against Miami’s. 

*

The ring seemed to tingle on John’s finger. He was lying on a sun lounger on the terrace that ran along the back of the castle, reached by French windows from various rooms. ‘Do you feel something?’ he asked Roger, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground nearby, painting his fingernails scarlet.

Roger looked up. ‘Love,’ he murmured drowsily.

*

John could see the statues cavorting in the moonlight as they accompanied Brian to the place he considered the prime spot in the castle grounds to witness the meteor shower. Jim Hutton and Miami were now inseparable from Freddie and Brian and John thought that love was another kind of magic.

John felt slightly lonely. ‘I wish I could find somebody to love,’ he whispered to the night sky.


	5. Careless Wishes

Chapter Five

The day after the meteor shower Miss Tetzlaff arrived.

John, Freddie and Brian met her first as they approached the castle. It was another lovely day and the sun was warm on their backs. They had been very lucky with the weather during their holiday, Freddie thought. Perhaps that was part of the magic too. They saw a woman walking briskly up the path pulling a suitcase on wheels behind her, slightly ahead of them.

‘Hello,’ Brian greeted her. She halted and twisted around to see them. 

John smiled. ‘You’re beautiful,’ he blurted out.

The woman looked startled. ‘And who are you?’ she asked.

‘We’re friends of Roger’s, dear,’ Freddie said. She was elegantly dressed, he thought. And although she currently looked suspicious he thought she seemed friendly. Warm, he thought, she had a warm quality to her.

The woman frowned. 

‘Beautiful even when you scowl,’ John sighed.

Everyone looked at him. Everyone frowned.

‘Who is Roger?’ the woman asked. She had turned around fully now, facing them with the suitcase sitting on the path next to her.

‘Miami’s nephew,’ Brian explained.

The woman looked very cross now. 

‘You are really quite exquisite,’ John cooed.

‘Who is Miami?’ the woman wondered.

Freddie was relieved to see Miami appearing in the doorway and hurrying down the path to greet their little group. ‘You must be Miss Tetzlaff,’ Miami said, holding out his hand to her, ‘I’m Jim Beach, but everyone calls me Miami.’ 

‘Ah, I see,’ Miss Tetzlaff nodded, shaking his hand, ‘it’s nice to finally meet you in person,’ she added. 

‘Miss Tetzlaff was the former Lord Yalding’s assistant and stayed at his London property,’ Miami explained to the others, ‘and she is now the new Lord’s assistant.’ He glanced around, ‘Is he with you?’ he asked.

‘His Lordship will arrive later,’ Miss Tetzlaff informed him. This was not strictly speaking true and she felt bad about misleading Miami. The new Lord Yalding had arrived with her but had decided not to reveal himself immediately. (‘I want to observe the occupants of the castle first, Ronnie’ he had declared, ‘before they meet me.’) Ronnie found this slightly annoying but he was paying her wages now so she had gone along with his man of mystery whim. To move the subject firmly away from Lord Yalding she said: ‘Who is Roger? I understand these are friends of his?’ 

‘Ah...’ Miami gestured towards the castle doorway, ‘why don’t you come inside?’ he suggested.

Freddie mouthed ‘sorry’ to Miami. He hoped they had not got Miami and Roger into trouble. He frowned as John said, ‘Miss Tetzlaff: such a gorgeous name,’ in a dreamy tone of voice.

‘Thank you,’ Miss Tetzlaff moved towards the door, ‘who is Roger?’ she repeated.

‘My nephew,’ Miami said, adding, ‘the former Lord was aware that he is staying here with me.’ 

Miss Tetzlaff looked politely disbelieving, although she appeared slightly distracted when John took her suitcase, murmuring, ‘You’re so lovely,’ as he did so.

‘Hello,’ Roger greeted them cheerfully, arriving at the front door. He smiled brightly as Miami introduced him to Miss Tetzlaff and explained who she was. ‘I’ll take your suitcase to your room,’ Roger offered.

‘Thank you,’ Miami said, ‘and then perhaps you could arrange for tea in the drawing-room, please, Roger?’

Roger treated Miss Tetzlaff to his most dazzling smile. She seemed unimpressed. ‘Of course,’ he said to Miami.

*

Once Miami had taken Miss Tetzlaff away the others followed Roger as he took her suitcase, which John had eventually agreed to release, up to one of the guest bedrooms. ‘Is it just me or is she a bit cross?’ Roger asked.

‘Miss Tetzlaff is an angel in human form,’ John snapped.

Roger’s eyes widened. ‘John,’ he began but was distracted when Paul Prenter appeared at the end of the corridor.

‘Moving out, are we,’ Prenter nodded at the suitcase, ‘about time, freeloader.’ 

‘Sorry to disappoint you, but the new Lord’s assistant is moving in,’ Roger explained.

Prenter snorted, ‘Your days are numbered, then,’ he sneered, ‘if he’s got staff of his own he won’t need Miami and no one needs a waste of space like you!’ He went pale suddenly and whirled round, looking in the direction he had just come from, ‘Who’s there?’ he called, his voice now shaking.

‘Hearing voices, are you?’ Brian smirked.

Roger frowned, ‘I thought I heard footsteps, actually.’

Prenter looked rattled. ‘Well, enjoy your limited remaining time here,’ he sneered, the effect slightly spoiled by the way he was trembling and how he then scuttled off. 

*

Everyone thought they heard footsteps behind them as they moved from Miss Tetzlaff’s bedroom to the kitchen, but there was never anyone there when they turned around. ‘And John has the ring,’ Freddie pointed out.

Once they had made tea and brought it up to the drawing-room they found Miami and Miss Tetzlaff sitting in uncomfortable silence. Brian set the tea-tray on the coffee table.

John sank into the seat next to Miss Tetzlaff. ‘You’re so lovely,’ he gushed, ‘I wish we could...’

‘No!’ Roger screeched.

‘...grow old together,’ John concluded.

‘Fuck,’ Roger sighed. 

*

John said, ‘Oh,’ into the shocked silence that followed his wish.

Everyone else was watching, in speechless horror, as John and Miss Tetzlaff both aged rapidly in front of their eyes. Their hair turned grey and thinned. Wrinkles spread across their skin. Liver spots bloomed on their hands. Their eyesight faded. Sounds became muffled. They both felt aches settle deep in their joints.

Then Miss Tetzlaff began to scream, holding one of her newly heavily wrinkled hands up in front of her equally wrinkled face. ‘What have you done to me?’ she howled. 

Roger crouched in front of her, ‘It won’t last forever,’ he assured her gently, ‘it’s magic,’ he started to explain.

‘Oh, don’t be so fucking ridiculous!’ she shrieked.

‘It is magic,’ Roger told her firmly, ‘and the enchantment will wear off after a few hours. Twelve, I think, or maybe even six if John wished for someone to love last night?’ 

John nodded his balding, grey-haired head in mute response to Roger’s enquiring gaze. Roger reached over and gently squeezed John’s wrinkled liver-spotted hand in sympathy. ‘If you would like, I can get you a sleeping pill,’ Roger offered, looking up at Miss Tetzlaff, ‘and you can have a lovely nap and then when you wake up you’ll be back to normal.’ 

‘Now you’re going to drug me?’ she yelped.

‘No one is going to give you anything without your consent,’ Miami assured her.

‘I would suggest you accept blondie’s offer, Ronnie,’ a new voice drawled.

Everyone’s heads swivelled to the drawing-room doorway where a tall dark-haired man was standing.

‘Oh, it’s you,’ Roger said. 

Miss Tetzlaff gasped, ‘Sir!’

Miami sighed. 

‘Hi, I’m Crystal,’ the man said, grinning as he added, ‘Lord and master of all I survey!’

‘Apart from the people,’ Roger said crisply. He scrambled to his feet, gently patting Miss Tetzlaff’s hand. ‘Shall I get a sleeping pill for you?’ 

‘It would be best, Ronnie,’ Crystal told her. 

She nodded. Roger left the room silently, after Crystal had stood aside to let him out of the door. Crystal looked for a moment as if he might follow Roger but did not.

‘Ronnie?’ Miami murmured, having moved over to Miss Tetzlaff and clasped one of her hands between both of his.

‘My name is Veronica,’ she gulped, ‘but please call me Ronnie.’ 

‘Such a beautiful name,’ John breathed.

The following uncomfortable silence was broken when Miami looked at Crystal and asked, ‘How do you know my nephew, Lord Yalding?’ 

Crystal ignored this. ‘That was a bloody stupid wish,’ he told John.

‘Thank you for stating the obvious,’ John snapped. 

‘We must work out a moisturising routine for you, John, dear,’ Freddie fretted, ‘it’s really quite alarming.’

‘Can someone please explain what is going on?’ Miami asked, suddenly looking weary.

‘Oh, yes, do,’ Crystal urged them with a wicked little smile. 

Brian suspected Crystal somehow knew exactly what was going on. His eyes met Miami’s. ‘It started the day we met Roger,’ he began.

Brian was still telling the story when Roger returned with a glass of water and a packet of pills. ‘I’ll show you to your room,’ Roger said, ‘and you can take one of these and have a nice rest.’ He looked at John and asked him, ‘would you like one too?’ 

‘I think you should, dear,’ Freddie advised him.

‘You can have a lie down in my room,’ Roger offered.

Once Roger had escorted both John and Ronnie out of the room Brian resumed their story. Miami listened in silence. Crystal snorted a few times but made no comments.

Miami nodded when Brian concluded their tale. He looked at Crystal. ‘You are aware of the magic?’ 

Crystal nodded, ‘As are you, I believe?’ 

Miami sighed and looked towards Roger, who had returned and halted in the doorway. ‘Yes,’ Miami confessed.

‘You knew about the magic?’ Roger croaked, looking hurt and bewildered. ‘You must have realised I’d been under a spell when I vanished?’

‘I’m sorry,’ Miami apologised, ‘but the previous Lord Yalding told me not to say anything.’

Roger crossed his arms over his chest defensively. ‘It would have been helpful to know,’ he muttered. 

‘I’m sorry,’ Miami repeated. ‘By the way, you know I don’t mind you dressing up in the clothes from the chest in the attic but I thought we had spoken about how delicate some of those items are and how they shouldn’t be worn outside, Roger? That dress you seem to have been wearing in the maze is particularly fragile.’

‘I bet you looked pretty in it, though,’ Crystal murmured. 

Brian shot an apologetic look at Roger, realising belatedly that he might have preferred to keep some details of their meeting private.

Roger sighed. ‘Sorry, Miami,’ he said. 

Miami smiled, ‘Don’t worry about it,’ he said. He studied Crystal. ‘It’s Christopher, isn’t it?’ 

‘It’s Crystal,’ Crystal snapped, ‘and yeah, my great-uncle used to own this place. I visited a few times,’ he glanced at Roger, ‘you weren’t here,’ he said, sounding almost accusatory.

Roger blinked at him. He looked confused.

‘How do you two know each other?’ Freddie asked.

Crystal blushed. Roger stared at the floor. Neither of them spoke.

‘The tea will be cold by now,’ Miami noted, ‘Roger, come and help me make a new pot.’

*

Roger obediently followed Miami out of the drawing-room and into the kitchen. Miami put the kettle on and as they waited for it to boil he wrapped his arms around Roger. ‘Tell me how you met the new Lord Yalding, Roggie,’ he invited him, ‘If it helps then you might like to know that I am aware you sometimes dress in some of the other women’s clothes from the trunk in the attic and wear them to the village pub.’

‘Oh,’ Roger mumbled, pressing his face against Miami’s shoulder. 

‘When I was younger I used to like wearing the Chanel suit,’ Miami told him.

‘Oh,’ Roger peeked at him, ‘I like that one too, but I was wearing the green Dior shift dress when I met... him...’

Miami gently rubbed Roger’s back. ‘I don’t really have the legs for that one.’

‘I went to the pub,’ Roger blurted out, ‘and he bought me a drink and we talked...’ He sighed.

‘You liked him,’ Miami suggested.

Roger nodded. ‘I liked him very much. We talked for ages. I felt like he really understood me, you know?’

‘I know, Rog,’ Miami murmured, frowning a little, because this didn’t sound like it had a happy ending.

‘He knew I was a man,’ Roger muttered, ‘and he seemed fine with that. He seemed to really get me, y’know?’ 

‘I know,’ Miami repeated.

‘And then I went to the loo and when I came back he had gone,’ Roger concluded sadly, ‘and I’d given him my name but I realised I didn’t know his. We hadn’t exchanged contact details.’ He shrugged unhappily and pulled away from Miami.

‘His name is Chris Taylor,’ Miami told him, ‘and he was a distant relative of the previous Lord Yalding but apparently the next one in line to inherit everything. And you are too bloody good for him, Roggie!’

‘Taylor?’ Roger echoed.

‘You’re no relation. I’m afraid you are not about to inherit any money.’ 

‘Damn,’ Roger smiled, ‘thanks, Mi,’ he added.

‘Thank you for telling me,’ Miami said, ‘now, c’m’ on and help me get this tea made!’


	6. Wish You Weren't Here

Chapter Six

The drawing-room was silent when they returned with a fresh pot of tea. Crystal was standing staring moodily out of the window. When Miami offered him tea he perched awkwardly on the edge of an armchair, as if poised for flight.

Once everyone had tea and cake Miami sat next to Brian, who instantly slid a comforting arm around his shoulders, and Roger sat next to Freddie. The silence persisted. It was Brian who eventually broke, saying, ‘Lord Yalding, are you allowed to tell us anything about the magic?’ 

‘Who would forbid me?’ Crystal snapped.

The silence returned. 

After a while, Crystal said, ‘Where did you find the ring?’ 

Brian frowned. He was pretty sure that when he had been telling their tale to Miami and Crystal he had mentioned that Roger had taken them to the treasure room and that was where they had obtained the ring.

Roger had been staring into his mug of tea. He looked up briefly, meeting Crystal’s eyes for a fleeting moment, before glancing down again. ‘It was in the treasure room,’ he replied.

Freddie gently squeezed Roger’s arm. He wasn’t sure what the story was between these two but Roger was plainly struggling with it and Freddie wanted him to know that he wasn’t alone. He suspected Miami had also been concerned about Roger and hoped they had chatted while making tea and that it had helped Roger.

‘What treasure room?’ Crystal asked. 

*

‘Oh,’ Crystal said as the panels shifted and the shelves of treasure became visible. He laughed. ‘Here all along!’

‘How long has it been missing for?’ Brian wondered.

‘Since I was a child, at least,’ Crystal shrugged, ‘maybe even from before I was born. I’m not sure my great-uncle, the previous Lord, knew this room was here.’

‘I didn’t know this room existed,’ Miami said. He glanced at Roger. ‘Perhaps Roger was meant to find it.’ 

Crystal looked thoughtful. ‘According to the statues the magic usually has an affinity with one of the residents of the castle. Maybe it drew Roger to it.’ 

Freddie felt the uncharacteristically quiet Roger shiver. He wanted to tell Crystal that he had freaked Roger out but felt they were all still tip-toeing around Crystal as he had the power to sack Miami and turn him and Roger out of their home. 

‘The statues told you this?’ Brian said.

‘They come alive,’ Crystal informed him, ‘under the light of the moon.’

‘Yes,’ Brian agreed, ‘they do, but you can only see them when you are wearing the ring or under a spell.’ 

Crystal shook his head, ‘I wouldn’t know about that but I do know that anyone and everyone can see them when there is a full moon and that they like to chat.’ He fished a packet of cigarettes from the pocket of his jeans, extracted a cigarette and began to search his pockets for a lighter. Roger silently produced his battered Zippo lighter and offered it to him. ‘Thanks,’ Crystal said, ‘want one?’ he added, offering the packet to Roger who shook his head.

‘The statues know about the magic?’ Miami prompted Crystal. ‘His Lordship mentioned the statues to me. I didn’t realise I would have been able to see them come alive too under a full moon.’ Miami felt slightly annoyed about this. He suspected the previous Lord had liked to be the only person with that knowledge. 

Crystal leaned against one of the shelves and sucked on his cigarette. ‘The statues say that the ring is the heart of the magic. It can be used to make things happen, but apparently you must be very specific about what you want, especially regarding how long you want the effects to last. If you aren’t specific then the statues seem to think spells won’t go as planned.’ 

‘Oh,’ Freddie blushed, feeling embarrassed, ‘we should have realised we could simply specify timings.’ 

‘You do seem to have been a bit... daft,’ Crystal agreed, earning himself a glare from Brian.

‘Did the statues have any other words of wisdom about the magic?’ Brian wondered slightly frostily. 

‘If the ring is being used then it has to be cleansed in the pool on the island while the moon is full,’ Crystal told them. 

‘Do you know if it’s true that there’s a secret passage over to the island,’ Miami asked.

‘Yeah,’ Crystal nodded, ‘it runs from the summerhouse to the temple on the island. I can show you at the time of the next full moon, once we get the ring back.’ He blew a smoke ring. ‘The ring should probably be cleansed and then returned here,’ he proposed, sounding a little uncertain for the first time. ‘It’s supposed to make the whole castle a place of magic,’ he added vaguely. 

‘I think that would be best,’ Brian agreed. Freddie, Roger and Miami nodded. Freddie thought Crystal looked slightly relieved. 

*

Crystal went to sit by Veronica’s bed so she had a familiar face with her when she awakened. Brian and Freddie went to Roger’s room to wait for John to awaken for the same reason.

John blinked sleepily. Freddie was peering down at him. ‘Hey,’ John yawned, ‘I had the strangest dream...’

‘Were you old in it, dear?’ Freddie wondered, ‘because that wasn’t a dream.’

‘Oh, shit!’ John sat bolt upright, ‘that poor woman!’ He was about to bury his face in his hands but halted, staring at them. ‘Oh, I’m back to normal!’

‘Yes,’ Freddie agreed, ‘you’ve been asleep for most of the day. Miss Tetzlaff will hopefully think it was all a dream too, darling, don’t worry.’ He stroked John’s hair. ‘Have we been neglecting you, dear?’ 

John flushed. ‘No... Just... last night Brian was with Miami and you were with Jim and...’ he shrugged, ‘I’m happy for you both but sometimes I would like someone too...’

Freddie nodded. ‘The spell may have worn off,’ he noted, ‘but Miss Tetzlaff, Ronnie, is still very attractive.’ 

‘She’ll think I’m crazy now,’ John sighed.

*

Ronnie was not sure where she was when she woke up. She felt groggy. ‘You’re alright, Ron,’ Crystal assured her.

Propping herself up on one elbow she found Crystal lounging in an armchair by the window reading a book. ‘Explain,’ she commanded.

*

When Ronnie and Crystal came downstairs they found Miami in the kitchen. He stood as they entered. ‘Good evening,’ he greeted them politely. ‘When would you like dinner to be served, Sir?’

‘Now,’ Crystal flopped into a chair, ‘I’m starving.’ His fingers tapped on the table top.

‘As you wish, Sir,’ Miami said, ‘will you be eating in the dining room, Sir?’ 

Crystal looked surprised. Ronnie sighed inwardly. ‘Would that be easiest for you, Miami?’ she asked.

Crystal swore under his breath. ‘We’ll eat here,’ he snapped, ‘at this perfectly good kitchen table. Just call for take-away if that’s quickest.’ 

Ronnie sighed. ‘What did the previous Lord usually do, Miami?’ she asked. 

‘Fuck what he did!’ Crystal yelled. He was pretty certain his great-uncle would have done whatever was least convenient for his staff. Crystal was struggling with the whole concept of having employees. It was different with Ronnie: she was an assistant. Plenty of people had assistants. (Although Crystal found it a bit odd having an assistant when he now had so much money that he no longer had to work. In theory he had plenty of time to do things for himself but he had to admit Ronnie made everything much easier.) Miami was a whole different story. Crystal could see how a building as large as the castle needed someone to oversee it but he had not expected Miami to offer to feed him. He was not sure how he felt about having a servant.

Ronnie frowned. ‘Are you okay?’ she wondered, adding for Miami’s benefit, ‘this isn’t like you.’ 

Miami quietly retrieved a container from the refrigerator and spooned stew out of it into a pot. ‘Do either of you have any dietary requirements?’ he checked.

‘No, neither of us do,’ Ronnie replied.

Crystal shook his head, looking sulky. ‘Just order something in,’ he muttered. 

‘There isn’t anywhere to order anything from, your Lordship,’ Miami informed him, ‘not in our village, at least. Is stew okay?’ 

‘Fuck,’ Crystal muttered, ‘yeah, fine, whatever.’ He knew he was behaving badly but everything seemed so overwhelming at the moment. The change from normal person to extremely wealthy person had been much less fun than he had anticipated. The magic gave it a whole new dimension too. Of course he had known for years that he would inherit everything and he had known about the magic for as long as he could remember but now that it all was, effectively, his problem he found it much more terrifying than he had expected. 

Ronnie offered to help Miami and Crystal felt even worse. Ronnie was a nice polite person and he was behaving like a sulky child. ‘No need,’ Miami assured her. ‘How do you feel now?’ he added. 

‘Fine,’ Ronnie answered, ‘Crystal has explained about the magic. It’s hard to believe even although I’ve seen it happen.’ 

Crystal sighed. ‘Where’s your nephew, Miami?’ Roger, the added complication. He had not expected to see Roger again. He had certainly not expected to see Roger here. Part of him had longed to meet Roger again and that was terrifying too.

‘Roger has gone to spend the night at Rose Cottage with the others,’ Miami said.

Ronnie felt disappointed that she was not going to see John again that evening. Before they had aged he had been cute. 

‘Do I own Rose Cottage?’ Crystal wondered.

Miami nodded, ‘Your predecessor rented it out. It’s not particularly popular because there is no phone signal or internet access.’

Crystal considered selling everything and moving somewhere more modern. Somewhere Roger was not, although Roger was not here now and part of Crystal wanted him here. ‘Is Roger seeing that Freddie bloke?’ he was horrified to hear himself ask.

‘No,’ Miami replied, ‘I believe Freddie is seeing one of our gardeners, Jim.’ 

‘And you’re with Brian, aren’t you?’ Ronnie said brightly. 

‘Er... Yes...’ Miami was appalled, was he so obvious?

‘It’s the way you look at each other,’ Ronnie explained, ‘You’re a very cute couple.’ 

‘Er... Thank you... It’s all quite new...’ Miami blushed, apparently he was that obvious.

‘Is Roger with the bloke who wished to be old, then?’ Crystal asked.

‘Considering John wished for somebody to love then I hope not,’ Veronica stated crisply, blushing slightly.

Crystal had forgotten about that. He grinned, ‘Oh yeah, you’re his wish come true, Ron!’ He laughed as she glared at him. ‘Is Roger single then?’ 

‘As far as I am aware, yes,’ Miami nodded, unsure how he felt about Crystal’s obvious interest in Roger. If Crystal was so besotted then why had he abandoned Roger in the pub?

*

They were still in the castle grounds when Freddie demanded to know how Roger knew Crystal. Roger told them. Brian frowned. ‘He just... left?’ 

Roger nodded. ‘I guess the enchantment wore off,’ he concluded sadly. 

*

John was still wearing the ring so the following morning they all returned to the castle to allow him to surrender it to Crystal. ‘When is the next full moon?’ Freddie wondered.

His companions shrugged. Jim approached, beaming, offering Freddie a yellow rose, which he tucked into Freddie’s hair. ‘Thank you, darling,’ Freddie gave him a kiss, ‘do you know when the next full moon is, dear?’ 

‘Three weeks today,’ Jim replied instantly. He flushed as they stared at him. ‘I’m interested in how phases of the moon have an impact on how things grow,’ he explained. 

Freddie kissed him again. ‘You’re adorable. I’ll come and find you later.’ 

*

Miami met them on the steps. He hugged Roger and kissed Brian. ‘Good morning! They are on the terrace having breakfast outside.’ 

Roger held back and found himself next to John at the rear of their little group. John was apparently as reluctant to see Ronnie as Roger was to see Crystal. Roger reached out his hand and squeezed John’s hand, receiving a grateful look in return. 

Of course the disadvantage of hiding behind the others was that they got first choice of seats at the table so when Roger and John went to sit down inevitably the only remaining chairs were next to Ronnie and Crystal. John sat next to Ronnie and Roger slid onto the seat next to Crystal.

John decided to just get it over with. ‘I’m so sorry about my behaviour towards you and casting a spell on you yesterday,’ he told Ronnie, his cheeks burning with embarrassment.

‘No harm done’ Ronnie assured him kindly, ‘would you like some coffee?’ 

Miami and Ronnie made sure everyone had tea or coffee and toast or pastries or fruit. Crystal sipped coffee and moved his leg so it was touching Roger’s leg under the table. Roger did not move his own leg away and Crystal felt that was a victory of sorts. His close proximity to Roger was almost overwhelming. Roger smelt citrusy. The fine golden hairs on his arm shimmered in the morning sunshine. Roger had a little pastry crumb at the corner of his mouth that Crystal wanted to lick away.

‘Darling, you have a little something...’ Freddie wiped Roger’s mouth with a napkin, removing the little flake of pastry.

A blush warmed Roger’s cheeks and he looked so cute Crystal could hardly stand it. He sipped more coffee.

Roger felt like an idiot. Now Crystal would think he was too stupid to wipe his mouth after eating. He was, he reflected, too stupid to wipe his mouth after eating. He hadn’t even wanted a bloody pastry but he had wanted something to do with his hands plus it had meant his mouth was full so that he couldn’t say anything stupid. He should have had a cigarette instead, despite Brian’s disapproval. 

Crystal’s leg was touching his under the table due to the closeness of their chairs. Roger was surprised that Crystal had not scooted away from him. 

*

John held out the ring towards Crystal. ‘Three weeks until the next full moon,’ he said, ‘so maybe it should go back in the case until then?’ 

Crystal nodded, accepting the ring and slipping it onto his finger. ‘I’ll put it back in the treasure room later.’ 

Roger frowned, unsure how wise it was for any of them to actually wear the ring. He didn’t say anything though.

*

As everyone dispersed after breakfast Crystal asked Roger to show him to the treasure room. Miami was clearing the table and frowned at this. Roger agreed though, and Miami didn’t want to cause any upset so he did not intervene. He supposed Crystal and Roger needed to talk anyway.

Brian quietly helped Miami to clear the table as Freddie slipped away to find Jim and, to his delight, John left with Ronnie, who had asked him to show her the grounds. He was a little concerned about Roger but maybe he needed to sort things out with Crystal. 

*

Roger walked slightly ahead of Crystal which allowed Crystal to admire Roger’s arse in his tight jeans. Roger halted by a tapestry which he pulled aside to reveal a door. Crystal hadn’t really been paying attention the previous day and wasn’t really now, too busy admiring how Roger’s muscles moved as he reached up to retrieve the key.

‘You’re driving me crazy,’ Crystal blurted out, pushing Roger up against the wall of the corridor leading to the treasure room. 

Taken by surprise, Roger squeaked and pushed Crystal away, then inwardly berated himself for behaving like a blushing virgin. ‘I... You... You left...’he gulped. 

‘Yeah,’ Crystal ran a hand through his hair. ‘I had to go.’

Roger waited for him to elaborate on that. He didn’t. ‘That’s it? You had to go?’ Roger said.

‘We had a drink in a pub!’ Crystal snapped, ‘It’s not like I abandoned you at the altar or anything!’

‘People often say goodbye!’ Roger noted.

‘You shouldn’t have spent so long in the loo, then!’ Crystal cried, glaring at Roger, ‘I had to go... I... Oh, this is hopeless! I wish...’

‘No, don’t wish!’ Roger gasped.

‘...you weren’t here!’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops! :)


	7. The Statue

Chapter Seven

Crystal found Miami and Brian in the kitchen washing breakfast dishes. ‘Please,’ he croaked, ‘help me...’

‘What’s wrong?’ Miami steered Crystal onto a chair. Brian put the kettle on.

Crystal hid his face in his hands. Miami noted the ring was still in place on his finger. He frowned: Crystal and Roger had gone to the treasure room to place the ring there for safe-keeping so why was Crystal still wearing it? ‘Sir, what have you done?’ Miami asked, feeling a little lurch of terror, ‘Where is Roger?’

‘I don’t know,’ Crystal wailed, ‘I wished... I wished that Roger wasn’t here and... And then he disappeared!’

Brian and Miami stared at him for a moment without saying anything. ‘You made a wish,’ Miami said slowly, ‘while you were still wearing the ring?’

Crystal nodded. A tear slid down his cheek. ‘I didn’t mean to,’ he moaned, ‘I wished he wasn’t here and now he isn’t...’

‘But... Where is he?’ Miami asked.

‘I don’t know,’ Crystal whispered. ‘I wished him away and he... went...’

‘You fucking idiot!’ Miami roared, thumping the table. Crystal flinched. ‘Un-do your wish,’ Miami demanded.

‘Do you think I haven’t tried?’ Crystal screamed, ‘It doesn’t work!’ He wrapped both arms around himself and rocked back and forwards on the chair. ‘Roger’s gone,’ he whimpered.

‘Will the statues know how to get him back?’ Brian wondered, gently pushing Miami onto a chair and clasping his shoulder.

Crystal sniffled. ‘I c’n ask,’ he gulped, looking marginally less wretched.

‘You better fucking ask, and you better fucking hope they can tell you how to get him home,’ Miami hissed, adding: ‘and he better be completely unharmed or you will be extremely sorry!’

*

It felt like the longest day of Crystal’s life as he waited for the moon to bring the statues to life. Everyone was angry with him. Rightly so, he knew. Even Ronnie had looked disappointed. He’d retreated to his room and spent the day curled up on the bed keeping out of everyone’s way.

He was dismayed to find everyone waiting for him when he went downstairs as the sun set. ‘I’m going alone,’ he snapped.

‘No,’ Freddie told him, ‘you’re not, dear.’

‘You won’t be able to talk to the statues!’ Crystal had pointed out, exasperated, ‘You won’t even see them move.’

‘I know we are all worried about Roger,’ Ronnie said in a soothing tone, ‘but Crystal has a point.’

‘We’ll need to know what the statues say immediately,’ Miami snarled. Brian, who had his arm around Miami’s shoulders, glared at Crystal.

‘You will,’ Crystal replied curtly, ‘but you must stay on the terrace.’ He stalked off. They weren’t the only ones worried about Roger, he thought crossly. Crystal was frantic to know how to get Roger back. He didn’t believe in love at first sight but he thought it might have happened to him the first time he had met Roger.

Crystal broke into a run, following the first statue he saw, one he thought usually stood in an alcove in the rose garden. The statue was heading towards the lake. ‘Excuse me!’ Crystal squeaked, feeling like an infant trying to attract the attention of a stern adult. He tentatively touched the statue’s shoulder, which felt surprisingly warm to the touch, and was gripped by an almost overwhelming terror. He wanted to run away and he even started to turn around, stumbling clumsily in his urgency to distance himself from this... thing... He could see them all, standing in a line on the terrace, waiting for him to find out how to rescue Roger from wherever Crystal’s stupid wish had banished him to.

‘Human,’ the statue had halted he realised, and was staring at Crystal with blank, apparently sightless, eyes.

Crystal did not think he had ever been so scared in his life. He heard himself whimper like a small child. ‘I need your help,’ he managed to gulp, ‘I made a stupid wish and it came true and I need to reverse it,’ he gabbled.

‘You wear the ring,’ the statue observed, ‘so of course your wish came true. What have you done, human?’

Crystal explained what had happened. The statue shook its head. ‘A sloppy wish,’ they remarked, ‘and you set no time limit. The lack of a time frame allows the outcast god of numbers, Arithmos, to weave strange enchantments. This was very foolish of you, human.’

‘I know,’ Crystal agreed miserably, ‘can it be undone?’

‘No,’ the statue said, ‘you can only hope the enchantment wears off soon, although as you did not specify where your friend should be upon cessation of the magic he will not necessarily return here.’

And that made it even worse, Crystal thought, through his haze of terror and misery. He felt his legs give way and sat down heavily on the ground at the feet of the statue. The statue suddenly sounded a bit kinder, saying, ‘You have banished the ring’s favoured one so the ring is likely to draw him back here. When that will be I cannot say.’

The statue moved off. Crystal sat unhappily on the grass, trying not to cry.

‘Chris?’ Ronnie’s concerned voice, close to his ear, startled him. He realised they were all now standing around him, above him, and he hastily scrambled to his feet. His nose was running and he wiped it on his sleeve. He was crying, he realised, and wondered how long he had been sitting there for, like a fool.

‘Well,’ Freddie demanded, ‘what did the statue say?’

Crystal told them and felt as if Miami’s little gasp of distress had physically lacerated his heart. ‘But the statue did say that Rog was likely to return here because the ring would call him back?’ Brian noted, cuddling Miami. ‘I think we are back to the magic lasting for twenty-four hours,’ Brian added. ‘It’ll be okay, Miami, I think Roger should reappear tomorrow morning.’

‘I hope so,’ Miami gulped.

John was scrutinising Crystal who felt as if John could see right into his soul (and wasn’t very impressed with what he was finding there). ‘I thought you said the statues were chatty,’ John remarked, his voice cool, ‘and I had assumed you were on good terms with them but you looked terrified.’

Crystal flushed. ‘I hadn’t spoken to that particular statue before,’ he tilted his chin up defiantly, ‘and they were a bit scary.’

Crystal had not spoken to any of the statues before, in fact. The previous Lord Yalding had told Crystal about the statues and his conversations with them. He had made the statues sound lovely. Crystal now wished he had not implied that he had a similar relationship with the statues. He realised bitterly that he must not wish out loud. The ring felt heavy on his finger. He wrenched at it, desperate to remove it, but it would not budge. He supposed when it did then Roger would be freed from the spell.

‘Thank you for trying,’ Miami said softly.

And somehow that was the worst thing of all.

*

Following an unpleasant squeezing sensation Roger had found himself in a large luxurious sitting room. The furniture was all new and pristine and comfortable. If Roger had been furnishing a room from scratch this was exactly how he would have done it.

He had no idea where he was. The room had windows but they were opaque. He wandered through other beautiful rooms: a bedroom, a kitchen, a lovely bathroom. He realised there were no doors that led outside.

The kitchen was stocked with Roger’s favourite food and drink. Roger grabbed a beer, switched on the television and curled up in an armchair.

To his surprise, the television showed Crystal and Roger meeting for the first time in the village pub. Roger felt all the little hairs on his arms stand up. It was odd seeing himself.

There was no sound but Roger knew that on-screen Crystal was currently asking what on-screen Roger liked most about the dress he was wearing, apparently genuinely interested in Roger’s answer. Roger sipped his beer in the magical apartment he seemed to have been wished away to and watched himself fall in love. There was no point in denying it any longer, he thought, especially not to himself. Roger did not believe in love at first sight but he had fallen in love with Crystal the first time he met him.

He watched with interest as on-screen Roger excused himself and headed to the loo. There had been no sound up until then but suddenly Roger could hear the chatter of other people in the pub, glasses chinking, people laughing. Then a voice startled him. His beer sloshed in the bottle as he jumped in surprise.

It was Crystal’s voice he was hearing, Roger knew, although on-screen Crystal was not speaking. After a moment Roger realised he was hearing Crystal’s thoughts. Crystal was thinking how cute Roger was. Roger blushed a little. But Crystal had left. Why had Crystal left? 

The scene changed from the pub to Lord Yalding’s study in the castle. A helpful caption told Roger that this scene had taken place earlier on the day of Crystal and Roger’s first meeting.

Crystal was asking Lord Yalding for money. Crystal’s internal monologue told Roger that he had suffered a series of unexpected bills: to repair his car; to fix the leaky roof of his flat; to sort faulty wiring in the flat. He had not explained that to Lord Yalding, however, who was giving Crystal a lecture about his ‘rackety lifestyle’. Lord Yalding seemed to think Crystal had been frittering away his money on alcohol, drugs and going out. Crystal’s internal monologue indicated that he wished that was why he needed money.

‘You are my heir,’ Lord Yalding had snapped, ‘and you must conduct yourself in a manner befitting that status! You need a respectable job and ultimately an irreproachable wife.’

The scene switched back to the pub. Crystal gulped some of his pint. He was thinking of what Lord Yalding had said and also thinking that the only person he wanted was Roger. He was scared by how much he wanted Roger. It felt overwhelming.

Roger held up his beer bottle, saluting the screen. ‘For me too, babe,’ he murmured.

What, on-screen Crystal thought, could he possibly offer Roger. Crystal was fairly certain Lord Yalding would disown Crystal if he said he wanted Roger rather than an irreproachable wife. Crystal thought of Lord Yalding branding him an irresponsible mess. He couldn’t even look after himself. Roger did not need him in his life.

Overwhelmed by his emotions Crystal realised that if he wanted to get the last bus out of the village he would have to leave at that moment. He fled.

‘You had to go,’ Roger murmured, ‘oh, Crys, you idiot.’ He had, he recalled, been in the grip of similar terror and elation in the pub’s bathroom: his joy at finding Crystal cut with utter terror of how much he needed Crystal, wanted him; had to have him.

The screen flickered and suddenly Roger could see Crystal just after he had wished Roger away. Roger gulped more beer. This should be interesting.


	8. The Return

Chapter Eight

Crystal and Miami sat on the floor in the corridor leading to the treasure room. They were working on the assumption that Roger would reappear where he had vanished once the twenty-four hour time period had elapsed.

Crystal was continually checking his watch. Miami found that irritating. Crystal was his employer though so he couldn’t really tell him off.

Miami was tense. Crystal reckoned Miami would have preferred to be alone but Crystal had exercised his right as the owner of the castle to insist on accompanying him. He thought Miami was probably too polite to tell him to fuck off. 

Miami couldn’t bear it. ‘What if Roger is distressed?’ he asked Crystal, crossly. ‘Do you really think he will want you here?’ 

Crystal immediately felt guilty because he had not considered that. He nodded, clambering to his feet.

‘Oh, sit down!’ Miami snapped. ‘Just... Please stop looking at your watch every two seconds!’ Miami enjoyed the confusion on Crystal’s face and then felt slightly guilty.

Crystal sat back down. ‘Sorry?’ he offered. 

Miami sighed. ‘I’m angry with you,’ he confessed, ‘Roger is like my baby brother and you hurt him and then wished him away and I am trying not to be angry with you but it is hard.’

Crystal nodded. ‘I’m sorry.’ His voice was a hoarse whisper. He was surprised when Miami gently clasped his hand and squeezed it. 

*

Brian was pacing up and down on the terrace. His long fingers tugged at his curls. ‘Sit down, dear,’ Freddie requested. Freddie was still sitting at the breakfast table with John and Ronnie.

‘Should I have gone with Miami?’ Brian fretted. It was the umpteenth time he had asked.

‘No, darling,’ Freddie said patiently, ‘too large a reception committee might overwhelm Roger.’ He privately thought Miami should have gone alone. He doubted Roger would be particularly pleased to see Crystal. 

*

Miami and Crystal appeared, dejected, a good two hours after they had anticipated Roger re-appearing. John organised them into two search parties. ‘He’s probably arrived back in his room and gone to sleep,’ he suggested with forced cheer. He looked at Crystal. ‘Can you take the ring off?’ 

Crystal nodded, looking miserable. The magic had apparently run its course but Roger had not returned.

They searched the castle and the grounds. There was no sign of Roger.

They stood around the table on the terrace, staring at the ring Crystal had placed on the table-top. They contemplated wishing Roger back. They decided more magic was more likely to complicate matters instead of helping. Freddie suggested Crystal might want to consult the statues again. Crystal inwardly shuddered but nodded in agreement. What else could they do? What else could he do? This was his fault, after all. He resigned himself to another long anxious wait until sunset.

John accompanied Crystal to the treasure room and they put the ring back in the case. Neither of them spoke.

*

It was late afternoon when Roger appeared.

They were all sitting around the table on the terrace tensely drinking wine in the afternoon sunshine. Jim had joined them, after helping search the grounds for Roger.

Roger appeared, dripping wet, trudging across the lawn towards them from the direction of the lake.

Miami, Freddie and Crystal all jumped up and raced towards him. Crystal got there first. Roger was sodden. What seemed to be white silk pyjamas were clinging semi-transparently to him. Crystal pulled him into a hug. ‘Are you hurt? Where have you been?’ 

Roger wriggled out of Crystal’s grasp and was immediately seized by both Miami and Freddie. ‘Roger?’ Crystal gulped.

‘You wished me away!’ Roger choked out, pressing his face against Miami’s shoulder.

‘Not intentionally!’ Crystal bleated as Miami and Freddie spirited Roger away from him, heading back towards the castle. 

*

Crystal was still at the table on the terrace drinking on his own when Roger joined him. Darkness was falling. Roger set a candle on the table. Crystal snorted, ‘How romantic!’ Roger also set another bottle of wine on the table. Crystal grunted, ‘Stealing from my wine cellar?’ 

‘Bringing wine from your wine cellar to your Lordship,’ Roger corrected him, ‘although I’d love a glass, if you’re offering.’

‘You’ll have to pour, blondie,’ Crystal muttered, ‘because I’m drunk.’

‘Maybe I should get some soda water,’ Roger suggested. ‘Water it down a bit.’ 

Crystal clicked his fingers. ‘That’s a spritzer,’ he said.

‘It is,’ Roger agreed.

Crystal sat looking at the candle flame flickering. It was a fat church candle in a glass jar. The candle was trapped, Crystal thought. ‘It’s trapped,’ he informed Roger, who had apparently left and come back as he was now setting a bottle of soda water and two large glasses on the table.

‘The candle,’ Roger said, following his gaze. ‘Nah, it’s snug,’ he told Crystal. 

‘Snug,’ Crystal repeated thoughtfully.

‘Safe,’ Roger added, pouring drinks.

Crystal nodded. ‘Safe,’ he echoed. ‘That’s good, then,’ he decided. ‘I love you,’ he added.

Roger smiled. ‘I know.’ 

*

Crystal awakened with a pounding head and blond hair in his mouth which he irritably brushed away. The owner of the blond hair moaned in their sleep and Crystal froze.

He was in bed with Roger.

Further investigation revealed that he was in Roger’s bed.

Crystal slumped back on the pillows (Roger seemed to have a ridiculous number of pillows) and considered this. He had been drinking on the terrace. Roger had joined him. That was it. That was all he could remember.

Roger made a little sighing noise. Crystal curled protectively around him and held him close. Roger sighed again. One blue eye fluttered open. ‘Morning,’ Roger mumbled.

‘Morning,’ Crystal whispered hoarsely, ‘Roger why am I here?’

Roger squirmed out of Crystal’s grasp and propped himself up on one elbow. He looked amused. ‘You insisted,’ he told Crystal, ‘you said I couldn’t be alone in case I vanished again.’ 

Crystal felt his cheeks heat up. ‘Oh,’ he mumbled. 

Roger sat up properly. ‘You were very sweet,’ he informed Crystal, his eyes glittering mischievously. ‘You were the perfect gentleman in fact: you just wanted to cuddle me.’ He reached over to his bedside table and poured a glass of water from the jug there, which he offered to Crystal.

Crystal sat up too and gulped water greedily. He felt Roger rubbing soothing circles on his back. ‘I was an idiot,’ he croaked.

‘For being the perfect gentleman?’ Roger teased.

Crystal snorted, ‘That too!’ He found Roger’s lips pressed against his own and kissed back fiercely, as greedy for the kiss as he had been for the water. ‘I thought you were angry,’ he said, once Roger had released him, ‘about me wishing you away.’

‘I am a bit,’ Roger straddled Crystal, pushing him back against the bank of pillows, kissing him again, ‘but I am also in love with you.’ 

‘You are?’ Crystal gulped. ‘I... I love you, too.’ 

‘You told me that last night,’ Roger smiled, ‘but I guess you don’t remember.’ He ran his fingers along Crystal’s cheekbones. ‘You’re cute when you’re flustered.’ 

*

Roger fetched more water and some painkillers then snuggled against Crystal in the bed and told him what had happened to him. ‘I went to sleep in the magical limbo house and when I woke I was somewhere else,’ Roger explained. He shivered. Crystal put his arms around him.

Roger had found himself in a marble hall. The floor, ceiling and supporting pillars were all made of marble of various colours: green, pink, orangey-red. There were no windows yet the space was light. Beautiful grey marble statues lined the walls, posing in little alcoves. They moved to surround Roger.

Crystal shuddered. He pulled Roger closer.

‘I wasn’t afraid,’ Roger told him, ‘I asked them why you had been scared (I’d seen your encounter with the statue onscreen in the magical house the night before) and they said it was because you touched the statue.’

Crystal flushed. ‘Oh,’ he mumbled, feeling silly. ‘I almost wet my pants,’ he admitted.

Roger had chatted to the statues. Like the previous Lord Yalding he had found them welcoming and talkative. They had told him quite a bit about the magic. 

The statues had directed Roger to the nearest exit which had brought him out on the island. The boat had been inconveniently moored on the other side of the lake. Roger suspected that another route through the marble hall would take him out on the side of the lake he needed to be on. ‘But by then I just wanted to be home,’ Roger said, ‘so I swam across.’ 

Crystal pressed his lips to Roger’s forehead. ‘You’re safe now,’ he assured him.

‘I was perfectly safe the whole time I was away,’ Roger noted, ‘but it’s sweet that you care.’ 

*

Paul Prenter was vacuuming the hall when Roger and Crystal emerged from Roger’s room. ‘Does Miami know you’ve had a bloke in your room?’ he asked Roger, smirking. ‘Does he know what a little slut you are?’

‘You must be Paul Prenter from the cleaning company,’ Crystal said. He had seen Prenter before, he realised, when he had been sneaking around the castle spying on the inhabitants on the day he arrived. Prenter had been sneering at Roger then, too, he remembered. ‘I’ve heard a lot about you.’ Crystal smiled and said softly, ‘I’m the new Lord Yalding, in case you were wondering. Now, I’m going to have breakfast with Roger and I’ll contemplate whether to renew my contract with your firm.’ 

He swept off, with his arm around Roger, heading for the kitchen, taking great pleasure in Prenter’s desperate spluttering apologies which gradually faded as they left him behind.


	9. Happily Ever After

Chapter Nine

‘I’ll sack him, of course,’ Crystal assured Roger, once they could no longer hear Prenter. ‘I won’t have anyone speaking to you like that.’

Roger grinned. ‘Aw, you’re sweet when you want to protect me! They are the main cleaning company round here,’ he added, ‘although perhaps we could get Paul re-assigned. And I can defend myself, you know.’

‘I know you can,’ Crystal agreed, ‘but I saw red.’ They had reached the hall which Miami was crossing. Miami halted, when he saw them and Crystal stopped too, with his arm still around Roger. 

Miami eyed Crystal and Roger who were both barefoot in jeans and unbuttoned shirts. Crystal felt self-conscious suddenly and tugged at the shirt he had taken from Roger’s wardrobe. ‘We’ll have breakfast on the terrace,’ Crystal told Miami imperiously. 

Roger looked between Miami and Crystal. ‘Miami, this is Crystal,’ he said brightly, ‘he’s a bit of an idiot and is apparently so worried he is doing the whole ‘being a Lord thing’ wrong that he has forgotten how to behave like a normal human.’ He reached out and took one of Miami’s hands in his right hand and one of Crystal’s hands in his left hand. ‘Crystal, this is Miami who is worried that you are going to sack him and make us homeless. And I am Roger and I love both of you so maybe you could sort yourselves out?’ 

‘Love?’ Miami noted, raising an eyebrow.

‘Love,’ Roger agreed, ‘although he’s an idiot.’ Crystal was trying to wrench his hand free, but Roger was keeping a tight hold on him.

‘Let me go,’ Crystal hissed, glaring at Roger.

Roger released him. Crystal hesitated. His instinct was to bolt but he would look even more foolish if he did that. ‘I’m sorry,’ he muttered to Miami, ‘I...’ He looked rather desperately at Roger: what did he want?

Roger sighed. ‘You two go and sit on the terrace and get to know each other and I’ll get breakfast organised,’ he said firmly.

*

Freddie kissed Jim. The scent of the roses was heady. Bees buzzed. The sun shone warmly on them. ‘I have to go home the day after the next full moon,’ Freddie sighed, ‘but I can’t leave you.’

*

Miami and Crystal were relieved to find Brian, John and Ronnie at the table. For a moment both had feared they might actually have to talk to each other in order to please Roger when he returned from the kitchen.

When Roger did arrive he set a tray loaded with tea, coffee, pastries and toast down on the table and, standing behind Crystal, slid his arms around his neck, murmuring, ‘Breakfast is served, your gorgeousness.’ 

‘Thanks,’ Crystal muttered, ‘although making breakfast is technically Miami’s job, not yours.’

Roger slid onto a chair. ‘I don’t have a job,’ he said, ‘I’m a freeloader.’

Crystal frowned, ‘Marry me,’ he suggested.

Miami spluttered a mouthful of tea everywhere. Brian’s jaw dropped open. Ronnie and John both stared at Crystal. 

Roger paused, a slice of toast halfway to his mouth. He carefully set the toast down on his plate. ‘You’ve only known me for a couple of days.’

Crystal snorted. ‘I could know you for a lifetime and you’d always be a mystery. I want to know you for a lifetime. Marry me.’ 

Roger considered this for a moment, shrugged, picked up his slice of toast and said, ‘Okay.’ 

‘Just: okay?’

‘What do you want me to do: tap-dance?’ Roger laughed. ‘Yes, love of my life, I’ll marry you.’ 

Crystal smiled. ‘Better.’ 

*

Freddie was furious he had missed the proposal. ‘It wasn’t very romantic,’ Roger soothed him over lunch on the terrace, earning a glare from Crystal. 

‘I can be your wedding planner!’ Freddie enthused, clapping his hands excitedly.

From the look on Crystal’s face John suspected he had not fully realised that there would have to be a wedding and had certainly not envisioned Freddie planning it. ‘The castle is the perfect setting, of course,’ Freddie beamed. ‘You could wear the princess dress, Roggie!’

Roger shrugged. ‘Maybe.’ 

‘Hmm... Or matching suits, perhaps,’ Freddie mused. 

‘I expect you’ll be having a lovely long engagement?’ Miami asked, sounding slightly faint.

‘We haven’t set a date,’ Crystal agreed quickly, looking relieved. John thought Roger looked amused. Crystal then abruptly changed the subject. ‘Where do you guys live in London?’ 

Brian explained they rented a flat. He had originally shared with John while Freddie stayed elsewhere but Freddie had recently moved in. ‘So, it is a bit crowded now,’ he concluded.

Crystal nodded. ‘As well as this,’ he indicated the castle with a wave of his hand, ‘there is a London house,’ he told them. ‘There are lots of rooms. It needs a gardener, that house,’ he added, glancing at Jim, who had joined them for lunch, ‘There’s a little gardener’s cottage in the grounds. I mean, it’s not a huge garden...’

Freddie looked hopeful.

‘The previous gardener and the previous housekeeper,’ Crystal glanced at Miami, who sipped some wine and looked coolly back, ‘had stayed to look after my great-uncle, the previous Lord, but they have both retired now,’ Crystal continued, ‘so that house needs a housekeeper too...’

‘It’s a lovely house,’ Ronnie told them, ‘you’d never know you were in central London. I have rooms there.’ She smiled at John.

‘Are you suggesting,’ Miami asked slowly, ‘that I should become the housekeeper at your London residence, and that Jim should become the gardener there? That Ronnie should remain staying there as your assistant and that Brian, John and Freddie should move in too?’ 

‘Yes,’ Crystal grinned, ‘that is exactly what I am saying. Y’all need to be in London to finish your studies, right?’ he added, looking at the brothers.

‘What about the castle?’ Miami asked.

‘There are a ton of gardeners here,’ Crystal pointed out, ‘and I reckon Roger could run this place. Of course, you’d all be very welcome to come here any time you liked and I expect Roger and I would be in London often and...’ he shrugged, ‘it was just an idea,’ he said softly.

‘It’s a wonderful idea!’ Freddie got up from his seat, ran around the table and hugged Crystal. ‘It’s a marvellous idea, darling!’

‘Yeah,’ Brian agreed, grinning, ‘it is!’

John thought Miami looked less convinced. John was looking forward to seeing more of Ronnie, though, so also thought it was an amazing idea.

*

Brian found Miami sitting on the porch of the summerhouse with a bottle of wine. Brian sat cross-legged next to him. ‘I’d still like to see you,’ he told Miami softly, ‘if you decide to stay here.’ 

Miami sighed and swigged from the wine bottle then offered it to Brian. ‘It’s not that I don’t want to be with you. I do, very much.’ He flushed and drank from the bottle again as Brian offered it back to him. ‘I’m just worried about Roger and...’ he sighed deeply. ‘I’ve been here for a while, now. This is my home. I’m not sure about moving.’

Brian nodded. ‘I can understand that. This place is lovely. I don’t really want to leave either.’

Miami waved the wine bottle at him. ‘It’s not very practical for you to stay here, is it?’ 

‘Sadly not,’ Brian accepted the bottle and gulped down some wine.

‘When you are here the real world seems very distant,’ Miami said, ‘Roger tells me that according to the statues the magic stops phone signals and so on. I kind of like living in a little bubble of loveliness.’ 

‘Perhaps the London house is magical too,’ Brian suggested. ‘Maybe we could visit it: you could check it out first?’

‘That is a sensible idea,’ Miami agreed, ‘I’ll ask Crystal about it.’

‘You don’t like him,’ Brian said. It was not a question.

Miami squinted into the neck of the bottle of wine then tipped it up so he could get the last drops out of it. ‘I don’t dislike him,’ he said, ‘I don’t really know him. Neither does Roger and Roger has been vulnerable since his parents died.’

‘Roger needs a bubble of loveliness,’ Brian murmured. ‘What were you running away from?’ he asked Miami, ‘Why did you want to leave the real world?’ 

Miami snorted. ‘I was trying to run away from myself,’ he said. He scratched his head, ‘I’d been training to be a priest,’ he told Brian, ‘but then I had a... well... I suppose you could say I had a crisis of faith. I came here and I’ve never left.’

Brian wrapped his arms around Miami. ‘I’d never let anyone or anything hurt you,’ he promised.

*

Crystal was brushing Roger’s hair. He seemed to find it soothing and since Crystal had been agitated since lunchtime Roger was bearing the tedious hair-brushing as well as he could. ‘Was I wrong to suggest it?’ Crystal asked.

‘No,’ Roger replied patiently as he had done on the several other occasions Crystal had asked the same question.

Crystal began to braid Roger’s hair. ‘I’ve upset your uncle.’

‘You haven’t,’ Roger assured him, hoping this was true, ‘he’s just not sure about leaving here.’ 

‘Leaving here or leaving you?’ Crystal’s voice was sharp. His hands tugged Roger’s hair.

‘Possibly a bit of both,’ Roger said calmly. ‘Crys, that hurts,’ he added as Crystal pulled at his hair.

‘Sorry! Shit! Sorry!’ Crystal let go of Roger and slumped on the bed.

‘It’s okay,’ Roger assured him. He shifted position and slid his arms around Crystal.

‘I’m not trying to get rid of Miami,’ Crystal muttered, ‘I thought he would want to be with Brian.’

‘I think he does,’ Roger stroked Crystal’s own hair, ‘but he’s been here for a long time, Crys. This is his home. He needs time to adapt to change.’ He kissed Crystal. ‘I appreciate your attempts to sort everything out.’

‘Yeah, well, I’m worried I might have made everything worse,’ Crystal fretted. 

‘You offered a solution, babe,’ Roger murmured, ‘you’re not forcing anyone to do anything.’ 

*

Crystal looked up at the full moon above him and then looked down at the eight full moons reflected in the lake. ‘The statues say everything in the magical realm is magnified eight times,’ Roger said.

‘The magical realm,’ Freddie breathed, his eyes shining, ‘can we go there?’ 

Roger shook his head. ‘Apparently not,’ he replied. He thought most of the others looked slightly relieved.

‘How do we cleanse the ring, then?’ Brian wondered. 

‘I think we just dip it in the water,’ Roger said.

‘That’s a bit of an anti-climax,’ Freddie murmured. 

‘There are eight of us,’ Crystal noted, ‘so should we each have a go?’ 

Roger nodded, ‘you first, perhaps, as the owner of the castle.’ 

Crystal dipped the ring into the lake, followed by Ronnie, then John, Jim, Freddie, Brian and Miami. Miami passed the ring to Roger who took it, crouched and dipped it into the water. It didn’t feel magical. Shrugging, he stood and handed the ring back to Crystal.

‘Let’s get this right back in its case,’ Crystal suggested.

*

They compromised, in the end. 

Miami alternated spending one week in London with one week at the castle.

Freddie had been secretly concerned that once they were away from the castle and its magic his relationship with Jim would be less intense. He was delighted to find this was not the case.

Ronnie and John were continuing to spend a lot of time together, their friendship deepening into love.

Crystal and Roger also divided their time between the castle and London, although they tended to spend more time at the castle. 

*

Roger sat on the low wall near the herb garden as the sun set. Crystal sat next to him. ‘Hey, blondie, are you okay?’ 

It was the anniversary of Roger’s parents’ death, Crystal knew. Roger had been quiet all day. Crystal slipped his arm around Roger now. 

Roger leaned against him. ‘I’m okay. Just sad.’

Crystal stroked his hair. ‘Do you want talk about it? Do you want to talk about them?’ 

Roger shook his head. ‘I’m glad you’re here, though,’ he told Crystal. ‘I’m so lucky to have you and Miami and Freddie and the others.’

‘Yeah, we’re lucky,’ Crystal agreed. ‘You know I’ll listen to anything you have to say, anytime you need to talk?’

‘I know,’ Roger said softly. ‘I am okay, though, Crystal, really.’

They kissed.

‘There is so much magic in my life,’ Roger murmured and Crystal silently agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally finished! Thank you so much to everyone who has read this!

**Author's Note:**

> If you gave this a try and got this far then thank you very much for reading it!
> 
> I'm finding this difficult to write so it is likely to be extremely slow to update...


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